"When Yahoo! offered to buy Facebook for $1 billion in July 2006, I thought we should at least consider it. But Mark Zuckerberg walked into the board meeting and announced: “Okay, guys, this is just a formality, it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. We’re obviously not going to sell here.” Mark saw where he could take the company, and Yahoo! didn’t"
About this Quote
The intent is twofold. First, it mythologizes founder authority. By depicting “consider it” as the timid, reasonable option and rejection as the only serious move, Zuckerberg reinforces a Silicon Valley creed: greatness comes from stubbornness masquerading as clarity. Second, it retroactively justifies the hard edges of his leadership style. If the big call was made with such certainty, then later controversies can be folded into the same narrative of singular conviction.
The subtext is also a quiet indictment of Yahoo, a company remembered for mistaking traffic for destiny. “Mark saw where he could take the company” isn’t just praise; it’s a verdict on an era of tech where incumbents bought threats instead of building futures. In 2006, Facebook was still a relatively contained social product, not yet a global infrastructure for attention, politics, and advertising. That hindsight matters: the quote relies on our knowledge of what Facebook became, turning a risky refusal into inevitability.
It’s a founder legend designed to do what founder legends always do: make power look like foresight.
Quote Details
| Topic | Startup |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Zuckerberg, Mark. (2026, January 18). When Yahoo! offered to buy Facebook for $1 billion in July 2006, I thought we should at least consider it. But Mark Zuckerberg walked into the board meeting and announced: “Okay, guys, this is just a formality, it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. We’re obviously not going to sell here.” Mark saw where he could take the company, and Yahoo! didn’t. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-yahoo-offered-to-buy-facebook-for-1-billion-184054/
Chicago Style
Zuckerberg, Mark. "When Yahoo! offered to buy Facebook for $1 billion in July 2006, I thought we should at least consider it. But Mark Zuckerberg walked into the board meeting and announced: “Okay, guys, this is just a formality, it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. We’re obviously not going to sell here.” Mark saw where he could take the company, and Yahoo! didn’t." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-yahoo-offered-to-buy-facebook-for-1-billion-184054/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"When Yahoo! offered to buy Facebook for $1 billion in July 2006, I thought we should at least consider it. But Mark Zuckerberg walked into the board meeting and announced: “Okay, guys, this is just a formality, it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. We’re obviously not going to sell here.” Mark saw where he could take the company, and Yahoo! didn’t." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-yahoo-offered-to-buy-facebook-for-1-billion-184054/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
