Alexander Tamas

Who Might Be Twitter's New Investors? The Usual Suspects, Of Course!

Kara Swisher in News on November 2, 2010 at 10:12 am PT

Last week, MediaMemo’s Peter Kafka reported on a new funding effort by Twitter. Sources said the San Francisco microblogging phenom, which has seen huge growth of late, is considering a round of upward of $200 million. And who are the moneybags who might be the ones to keep Twitter CEO Dick Costolo in diamonds and furs–and away, for now, from the enticing clutches of a socially awkward and, thus, acquisition-minded Google? Read on….

DST's Alexander Tamas Talks About New Investors, New Investments and Dealing With Troubling Russian Stereotypes

Kara Swisher in News on July 19, 2010 at 11:15 am PT

After Russia-based Internet investor Digital Sky Technologies got $388 million in a stock-swapping deal with South Africa media giant Naspers — coming after an earlier $300 million investment from China’s Internet behemoth Tencent — BoomTown dialed up DST partner Alexander Tamas in London to interview him about the implications. This developing international spiderweb of digital and media companies begged the question of what DST might do with all this new dough, especially since it has created quite a splash over the last year investing massive gobs of money in high-profile, social-focused U.S. Internet companies.

Facebookers Start Cashing Out Up to 20 Percent of Shares With New $100 Million Investment

Kara Swisher in News on July 13, 2009 at 9:55 am PT

According to sources close to the situation, current and former employees of Facebook are now going to be able to sell up to 20 percent of their common shares. It is part of a $100 million add-on investment in the social networking company by the Russian investors who recently put $200 million into the company for preferred shares valued at $10 billion. The new tender offer today by Digital Sky Technologies for common shares of Facebook is valued at $6.5 billion, or $14.77 a share.

The First Video Interview With Facebook's New Russian Investor, Plus COO Sheryl Sandberg

Kara Swisher in News on May 26, 2009 at 12:33 pm PT

Because a lot of tech’s big shots are converging on our seventh D: All Things Digital conference, BoomTown managed to grab Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Alexander Tamas, one of the key execs of the social-networking site’s newest megainvestor, Digital Sky Technologies. Here’s my video interview with them about the $200 million that the Moscow- and London-based DST announced today that it had invested in Facebook, at a $10 billion valuation.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg: $10 Billion Is a “Fair” Valuation

Peter Kafka in Media on May 26, 2009 at 10:48 am PT

Looking for lots of specifics about the $200 million at $10 billion valuation deal that Facebook and Digital Sky Technologies just announced? Then you have come to the wrong conference call, my friend. But for what it’s worth, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did sound fairly upbeat and confident during his chat with reporters Tuesday morning–the way you’d expect someone who just cashed a check for a couple hundred million to sound. The big picture: Even though Facebook’s official valuation has slid from $15 billion (November 2007, when Microsoft invested) to $10 billion, Zuckerberg is OK with that, arguing that 1) that deal was done at the peak of the market, and 2) it was never really a financial deal, but a way for Microsoft to partner up with Facebook.

Da! Facebook Takes $200 Million From Russian Investors at $10 Billion Valuation

Peter Kafka in Media on May 26, 2009 at 9:17 am PT

Facebook is indeed taking money from Russian investors Digital Sky Technologies. As previously reported, the social network is selling $200 million of preferred stock at a $10 billion valuation; DST will also buy up to $100 million of common stock at a lower valuation later this year.