Facebook IPO: five things to know before buying the stock

About 1 out of every 8 people on the planet have a Facebook account. Now, with the arrival of a public stock offering, all those people have a chance to be part owners of this social hub. Should you buy? Here are five things to consider.

4. Mark Zuckerberg says his goal isn't profit

Tucked in the stock prospectus, along with numbers and legal mumbo jumbo, is a "Letter From Mark Zuckerberg," Facebook's chief executive. His message is that he and Facebook have a social mission and that making profits is a secondary goal.

He describes what he calls "a huge need and a huge opportunity to get everyone in the world connected, to give everyone a voice and to help transform society for the future."

Mr. Zuckerberg doesn't disavow the goal of making money, but he says, "we don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services." That view could rankle many investors who say his Job 1 is to maximize value for shareholders.

But it remains unclear how Zuckerberg and his team will implement his vision. The Facebook co-founder points out that "we have seen disruptive new approaches" in various industries in the Internet age. Pursuit of a mission beyond money could help Facebook be a disruptor and innovator. Or Facebook could see its own franchise disrupted by competitors.

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