Russian Digital Sky Technologies Invests $200M in Facebook

confirmed Importance 8/10 ~1 min read 3 sources 4 actors

Media Capture & Control Intelligence Penetration

Digital Sky Technologies, primarily funded by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, invested $200 million in Facebook in May 2009, acquiring a 1.96% equity stake at a $10 billion valuation. The investment, led by CEO Yuri Milner, was accompanied by an additional offer to purchase $100 million in common stock from existing stockholders. Beyond the financial investment, the deal highlighted growing Russian investment in Silicon Valley tech platforms, with Kremlin-connected entities like VTB Bank and Gazprom Investholding indirectly participating through DST Global.

Sources & Citations

[1] Facebook Receives Investment from Digital Sky Technologies Tier 2

[2] Kremlin-Owned Firms Linked to Major Investments in Facebook Tier 1

[3] Zynga Takes Venture Round from DST Tier 2

Tiers Tier 1 court records & gov docs · Tier 2 established outlets · Tier 3 regional & specialty press · Tier 4 opinion or single-source. Methodology →

Cite this entry

The Cascade Ledger. “Russian Digital Sky Technologies Invests $200M in Facebook.” The Capture Cascade Timeline, May 1, 2009. https://capturecascade.org/event/2009-05-01--russian-digital-sky-technologies-invests-200m-in-facebook/