Twitter unveiled its much-anticipated IPO filing after Facebook's launch last year, and the microblogging site's 800-page filing is an interesting read about its growths and attempts to make money from its service.
Twitter filed its IPO under the JOBS Act, which allows companies with less than 1billion dollars in annual revenue to keep their IPO documents under seal until management is ready to make formal presentations to investors.
According to News24, Twitter's documents mention that after its co-founder Jack Dorsey sent out the first tweet in March 2006, the company didn't even try to make money for its few years and instead focused on attracting more users and making the service more reliable.
It is the patient approach, which paid off for the site with more than 218 million users and annual revenue soaring to 317 million dollars last year.
Although, the company suffered uninterrupted losses of 419 million dollars since its inception, Twitter can still afford the losses because it has raised 759 million from investors.
The documents further reveal that Twitter is likely to get more ads on its service, taking hints from rival Facebook, which generated revenue of nearly 1.2 billion dollars in Q2, while Twitter's revenue stays at 139 million dollars or just 64 cents per user.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
