Facebook: We're Big, Independent and Cash-Flow Positive

In August 2008, Facebook claimed 100 million monthly active users worldwide. By April 2009, the social networking outfit doubled that number. In July, it reached 250 million monthly active users. And now, two months later, Facebook has passed 300 million. Quite a milestone, but one that pales a bit in comparison to this one: Facebook is cash-flow positive.

“As of today, Facebook now serves 300 million people across the world,” founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in one of his typically somnolent blog posts. “It’s a large number, but the way we think about this is that we’re just getting started on our goal of connecting everyone. We’re also succeeding at building Facebook in a sustainable way. Earlier this year, we said we expected to be cash flow positive sometime in 2010, and I’m pleased to share that we achieved this milestone last quarter. This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term.”

This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term.

Interesting remark. It would seem then that Facebook has no interest whatsoever in selling itself off to Google (GOOG) or anyone else. It would much rather go public.

UPDATE: A couple of quick points courtesy Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg: Growth is apparently widespread, and while it’s true that 70 percent of Facebook’s user base is now outside the U.S., growth in the U.S. is not slowing.

[Image credit: San Francisco skyline by m.john16/Flickr]