I would still settle for taking a company public. Also it was much less than a billion, but there was stock issued as well.

And, IIRC, it was worth a whole heck of a lot less (like $300 mil less) because of the Facebook IPO disaster.

The gift of hindsight. Either way they made a mint.

The deal wasn't a billion dollars or take a company public.

The deal was a billion dollars, keep building the product, or say no and prepare to compete head-on with Facebook in an all-out war.

I don't think any sane person would have taken the latter.