Facebook buys Drop.io, recruits entrepreneur Lessin

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Facebook has recruited an entrepreneur who played a key role in the early days of the social networking service by buying the assets of his New York start-up, Drop.io, that lets users privately share files.

In a statement, Facebook confirmed that Sam Lessin would join the company full-time. Drop.io’s service will shut down. Drop.io’s blog also confirmed the move.

Lessin was a Harvard chum of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. He took Zuckerberg to meet venture capitalists and finance and media executives in 2004, according to an account in David Kirkpatrick’s book ‘The Facebook Effect.’

Lessin, son of Wall Street investment banker-turned-venture capitalist Bob Lessin, also helped out another classmate, political activist Joe Green, on his first start-up: He housed Green and a team of programmers in his parents’ guest house in New Jersey one summer. Green went on to found Causes with former Facebook President Sean Parker. Causes helps nonprofits raise money and awareness on the Web.

‘We can confirm that we recently completed a small talent acquisition for Drop.io and acquired most of the company’s assets,’ the e-mailed statement from Facebook said. ‘We’re thrilled that Sam Lessin will be joining us at Facebook.’

-- Jessica Guynn