Facebook Inc agreed to pay nearly $2 billion in cash and stock to acquire virtual reality goggle maker Oculus VR Inc.
Facebook said it would pay $400 million in cash and 23.1 million shares of the company’s stock. At Tuesday’s close of $64.89, the stock portion would be worth $1.5 billion.
“Mobile is the platform of today, and now we’re also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow,” Facebook founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a prepared statement. “Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate.”
Oculus VR is a startup that is trying to popularize virtual reality with its Oculus Rift goggles. Oculus has said it intends to charge $350 for the new version of the headset, which is due to ship to developers in July.
