Microsoft Corp.'s bankers recently contacted Facebook Inc. to gauge the Internet company's willingness to sell the social networking site the software giant, reports The Wall Street Journal.
There are no active discussions between the two companies and it's unclear if closely held Facebook would sell, a source told the WSJ. Microsoft's recent contact with Facebook was first reported on the AllThingsD.com Web site, which is owned by Dow Jones & Co.
Last year, Microsoft bought a 1.6% stake in the site worth $240 million and serves advertisements on the site. Microsoft's investment implied a
Facebook valuation of $15 billion.
Microsoft several times in the past three years expressed an interest in buying Facebook, said people familiar with the matter.
Facebook founder and ceo Mark Zuckerberg in the past has resisted the idea of selling his whole company.
