Goldman Sachs and DST investment points to 2012 IPO.
Running the world's largest social network is an expensive business, but Facebook has announced a major new funding round to help it grow.
The company has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and Digital Sky Technologies, with the FT reporting that the pair chipped in $375 million and $125 million respectively.
The funding values Facebook at $50 billion, with insiders predicting that it positions the company for an IPO sometime in 2012.
The round is causing controversy, however. Goldman Sachs is setting up a 'special purpose vehicle' to raise another $1.5 billion for Facebook from private investors.
In the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires companies to disclose their financial results if they have more than 499 investors.
Facebook's new round has sparked debate around whether Goldman Sachs' new SPV counts as one investor or many - if the latter, it could push Facebook over the 499 limit.
In other news, Facebook has recruited News Corporation executive Sean Ryan for a role as director of gaming partnerships.
He had been working on a gaming initiative at News Corp spanning Facebook, MySpace, iPhone and Android.
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