Why does facebook have to go public?

[Steve D]

Let's see..Facebook is non-union, so the unions have no dog in this fight. The government gets its taxes regardless of whether Facebook goes public, so the government could not care less. While Wall Street is looking forward to the IPO, they certainly did not force Facebook to go public (as if they could). Facebook workers have no say in whether or not it goes public. And the main investor is Zuckerberg who will retain control over the company while making billions. This is a Zuckerberg move, plain and simple, to cash in on the underlying value of his company. Not to mention, the money that Facebook will reap will be put to use expanding the brand and hopefully paying off in future earnings (which is usually the main reason most companies go public - to raise money to expand).