According to Reid Hoffman, Facebook investor and co-founder of LinkedIn, Mark Zuckerberg will choose to float Facebook next year. "Going public would benefit Facebook in lots of ways - namely having public currency to do acquisitions. So Mark [Zuckerberg] might as well get the benefit as well as the cost. Given that logic - I would suspect that some time in first half of next year, he will engage in the IPO process" said Hoffman.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been pressuring Facebook to disclose how many private shareholders it has on the secondary market. Facebook has until the end of April either make the necessary filings or go public. 

Analysts predict that Facebook could set its valuation at $100 billion when it floats and break new ground as the biggest consumer technology public offering ever.

Read more at Telegraph.co.uk