Meta has made more than 100 acquisitions since its founding, including major purchases such as Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta has stated that acquisitions focus on talent rather than the companies themselves. In 2021, Meta rebranded from Facebook and increased investment in emerging technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Spending has risen to as much as $145 billion, with $72.2 billion spent in 2025. Layoffs are anticipated in May 2026, affecting about 8,000 employees. Meta employs around 80,000 people across owned divisions. Instagram, acquired in 2012 for $1 billion, has grown to about 3 billion users and includes features such as Reels, Stories, filters, and Threads integration.
"Since its founding, Meta hasn't been shy about purchasing various companies. From WhatsApp and Instagram, to smaller unknown companies it's now fully integrated, the social media giant has spent quite a fair bit on buying up the competition. Over 100 purchases have been made, which owner Mark Zuckerberg has said is always to grab the talent, not the company itself."
"In 2021, Meta changed its name from Facebook, marking a new era. A new focus on burgeoning tech sectors, like virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), has caused some huge bills to be racked up. It's anticipated that in May 2026, the company will lay off 8000 employees. Part of this is also an increased spending budget, up to $145 billion. In 2025, it spent $72.2 billion as the AI rat race continued."
"Alongside WhatsApp, it's safe to say that Instagram is one of Meta's biggest purchases. The photo-centric social media app has gone on to accumulate around 3 billion users, and become a go-to app for many. It now includes vertical video with Reels, meant to compete with TikTok, and Threads, which was launched during Elon Musk's tumultuous takeover of Twitter, now X."
"Meta purchased Instagram back in 2012 for $1 billion. At the time, it was Meta's largest purchase since buying Snaptu, an application host for internet-capable phones, for $70 million in 2011. Instagram has gone on to be a staple of social media, and can be directly integrated into Facebook if the user chooses. Instagram has also been a hotbed of reactionary features. Much like Reels and Threads, which were created to keep users away from alternative platforms, Instagram also has Snapchat-like stories and filters."
Read at AOL.com
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