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0 pointszaidf16y ago0 comments

"The fact that Google bought it doesn't mean they've created a business."

A business can lose money and still remain a business, even a great one. Companies go public all the time while in the red.

And that $500M figure you have for YouTube is the epitome of fuzzy-math.

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zackattack16y ago

Amazon.com lost money for 7 consecutive years before first posting a profit in Q4 2001.

defen16y ago

That was all part of the business plan though - there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and they knew what it was. Whereas I don't think anyone knows how to make money off of YouTube.

zaidfOP16y ago

"In June 2008 a Forbes magazine article projected the 2008 revenue at US$200 million, noting progress in advertising sales."

We know two things for sure: a) youtube IS making money b) youtube is making money in tens of millions.

What we don't know--and what makes the argument that YouTube is a financial burden on google very difficult to prove--is the knowledge of YouTube's expenses.

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