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How does the CEO of Tumblr sign off on a memo confirming Yahoo‘s $1.1 billion purchase of the site?
With an F-bomb.
David Karp, the 26-year-old founder of the youth-centric social media platform, assured users on Monday that Tumblr would remain the same — “We’re not turning purple,” he said, referencing the fading tech giant’s signature color — and promised: “We won’t let you down.” Then he signed off with a “F–k yeah.”
“Everyone, I’m elated to tell you that Tumblr will be joining Yahoo,” he wrote. “Before touching on how awesome this is, let me try to allay any concerns: We’re not turning purple. Our headquarters isn’t moving. Our team isn’t changing. Our roadmap isn’t changing. And our mission – to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve – certainly isn’t changing.”
STORY: Yahoo Approves Bid to Acquire Tumblr for $1.1 Billion
Under the dome of Yahoo, Karp explained that Tumblr will have “more resources to draw from” and that the site, which launched in 2007 and now boasts more than 300 million monthly unique visitors, shares the same goal of Yahoo boss Marissa Mayer “to make the Internet the ultimate creative canvas.”
As for Mayer, she took to her own Tumblr page to announce the acquisition Monday, saying: “We promise not to screw it up. Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going. We will operate Tumblr independently. David Karp will remain CEO. The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve. Yahoo! will help Tumblr get even better, faster.”
According to The New York Times, Karp is expected to pocket $250 million in the deal with Boston-based firm Spark Capital, which has invested in Tumblr, standing to earn millions.
As reports of the talks unfolded on Sunday, other tech giants — including Microsoft and Facebook — were also said to have expressed interested in acquiring Tumblr, which is based in New York City and counts 175 employees among its staff.
Yahoo’s recent acquisitions include Summly, an app that summarizes news headlines, Astrid, a to-do list app, and Loki Studios, a mobile gaming company. The site also unveiled a redesigned homepage portal in February.
The Times reported that Mayer has talked with other potential internet gets like the mobile app Foursquare and video-streamer Hulu, both of which have a similar cool factor to Tumblr.
Twitter: @ErinLCarlson
Email: erin.carlson@thr.com
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