It only matters that TC may be making this stuff up if you work at Google. If you work at Google, go find an offer from Facebook that is better. If you get such an offer, then you can see if you get a counter.

If not, go collect more money at Facebook. Worst comes to worst, you're getting paid more, it makes morale worse at Google leading to others getting offers.

Google isn't a unicorn, it's a business, the purpose of working at a business is to extract as much value as you can from the 'business resource'. And in return you should expect the business to extract as much value from their 'human resource' as possible.

That's how life works. Google provides snacks and benefits because it allows them to extract more value, if the expected value from such benefits were negative they would not do it.

Value isn't measured solely in dollars, even at work.

I agree with you that value is not always measured in dollars. However, if the value is not measured in dollars, then why is Google offering dollars?

I think what is happening is that Facebook is offering more dollars (likely, via stock) and the developers would prefer more dollars to more non-dollar denominated value Google is offering.

Developers are not always the best investors, but at this point in time Facebook would appear to have much more upside in their stock than Google. It's just a matter of time before enough developers vest that Facebook is forced public like Google.

It's absolutely hilarious (and sad) that people here are jumping all over that nonsense line, and now's there's an actual debate over whether Facebook is worth $100 billion.

1) These are numbers Arrington pulled out of his ass.

2) 0.1% at present valuation is already beyond his $3.5 million counteroffer. Nobody is getting 0.1% anymore.