Facebook Surpasses One Billion Users (Video)

Facebook has surpasses more than one billion users, says CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

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Zuckerberg announced the news Thursday with a status update on the social network, and also appeared in an interview with Matt Lauer that aired on NBC's Today show and later will be broadcast on Rock Center with Brian Williams.

"It's just this amazing honor. To be able to come into work every day and build things that help a billion people stay connected with the people they care about .... just unbelievable," the 28-year-old founder marveled to Lauer, adding that "over the last year, 200 million more people have signed up for Facebook."

Zuckerberg said that 600 million people use Facebook on their mobile phones each month. "For us, that's really one of the key things over the next few years that we need to execute on is just making the best mobile products," he added.

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He also acknowledged Facebook has had a "tough cycle" since going public in May, valued at a whopping $100 billion. Afterward, stock plunged, dipping below $20 a share (48 percent of its IPO price) in August and leaving the company with a market capitalization of $43 billion.

"Things go in cycles. We’re obviously in a tough cycle now and that doesn’t help morale, but at the same time, you know, people here are focused on the things that they’re building," said Zuckerberg. "I mean, you get to build things here that touch a billion people, which is just not something that you can say at almost anywhere else, so I think that’s really the thing that motivates people."

Meanwhile, Facebook is testing out a new product that allows users to pay to promote status updates. Back in May, according to the Financial Times, the company first introduced the feature New Zealand and has since debuted it in 20-plus countries, charging $1-$12 per post. On Wednesday, it reached the U.S., offering users with less than 5,000 friends on the network the opportunity to open their wallets -- and promote their posts -- for a fee of $7.

Watch video of the Zuckerberg interview below.

Twitter: @ErinLCarlson

Email: erin.carlson@thr.com