Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Van Koum met in early 2012 for coffee at a German bakery in California and spoke for an hour, then took a walk for another hour and a half. Later that year, they began a series of dinners and continued to discuss messaging and communication services during meals and walks in the hills above Silicon Valley, the NYT reported. The meeting spurred a friendship and frequent dinners and hikes. After talks of a deal grew serious, Zuckerberg asked Koum to dinner at his home on February 9, where he formally proposed a deal and invited Koum to join the Facebook board. Koum thought about it for a few days, and the two men met again on Valentine's Day. Koum signaled his final decision by showing up at Zuckerberg’s house on Valentine’s Day with chocolate covered strawberries.
