
The $2 Billion Deal That Beijing Killed: Inside the Unprecedented Unwinding of Meta's Manus Acquisition—and the $1 Billion Buyback That Comes Next
In December 2025, Meta Platforms announced the acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup whose general-purpose AI agents could function as digital employees, independently carrying out tasks such as research and automation with minimal human input. The price was approximately $2 billion. The deal closed. Manus employees moved into Meta offices in Singapore. Capital was transferred. The startup's executives joined the American firm's rapidly expanding AI team. Investors including Tencent Holdings, ZhenFund, and HSG received their proceeds. The acquisition was, by all appearances, complete.








