- Facebook Spain has distributed more than €109 million in Meta shares to its employees in just two years.
- The cost of restricted stock (RSU) compensation doubled compared to the previous year.
- High personnel costs have led to net losses of €51,5 million in 2024.
- Despite the decline in revenue, Meta's advertising revenue in Spain has grown.
Meta's Spanish subsidiary, known as Facebook Spain, has been the protagonist of a unique event in the business panorama of technology: the payment of more than 109 million euros in shares among its employees over the past two years has represented an unprecedented compensation effort. This procedure, which reflects the international policy of the US-based group, has had a significant impact on the company's results in Spain.
The remuneration model through restricted stock (RSU) It has become a common practice to retain and motivate employees. However, Meta's revaluation on Wall Street and the sophistication of these plans have led to significant growth in labor costs in Spain in a very short period of time, bringing dynamism but also financial difficulties to the subsidiary.
An incentive plan that multiplies spending
Specifically, Facebook Spain has delivered €63,3 million in Meta shares in 2024. and another 46 million in 2023. The cumulative figure since the implementation of the RSU system far exceeds that recorded in previous years, since in the previous nine years only about 35 million were distributed. This large disbursement is explained both by the increase in the number of recipient employees and by the increase in the average value of each share, which stood at 471,57 euros in 2024 compared to 242,19 euros in 2023.
The restricted shares (RSUs) are not awarded immediately; they are promises of future awards contingent on continued employment with the company or the achievement of certain objectives. Only when the employee meets the stipulated requirements can they access these securities, which carry the same voting rights and dividends as common shares.
This plan affects the entire workforce, including senior executives. In fact, Meta's COO, Javier Oliván, is among the main beneficiaries, earning nearly $25 million in compensation over the last two fiscal years, largely due to the receipt of these stock-based incentives as part of his contract with the Spanish subsidiary.
Although Facebook Spain's workforce was reduced by 33 employees between 2023 and 2024, spending on shares has increased significantly thanks to the strong stock market revaluation of Meta, which grew by more than 60% last year. Thus, even a smaller workforce has meant higher wage costs for the company.
Losses and financial situation
The sharp rise in personnel expenses has left its mark on the company's accounts. Facebook Spain closed 2024 with net losses of €51,52 million., 41% higher than the previous year, according to the latest data filed with the Commercial Registry. Furthermore, negative operating profit (EBIT) amounted to €48,26 million, a trend that has been repeated for several years now.
All of these items are reflected as salary expenses according to international accounting standards, given that the shares are considered a supplement to the salary of employees with contracts in Spain, even if the actual delivery of the shares is made by the US parent company.
To alleviate the situation, Facebook Spain had a short-term debt of €2024 million at the end of 52,2, mainly with other companies in the Meta group. In addition, since 2025, the subsidiary participates in a system of Cash pooling intragroup that allows offsetting negative balances and facilitates financial stability despite accumulated negative results.
Values and economic results
Despite increases in spending, Facebook Spain saw its net income fall to 73 million in 2024., which represents a drop of around 15% compared to 2023. However, the company highlights the rise of the gross advertising revenue in the country, which reached 585 million euros (an 8% increase) and exerted a significant influence on the national economy, contributing more than 18.800 billion euros in activity and supporting some 128.000 indirect jobs, according to estimates.
This business model, based on the resale of parent company services and local management, means that a large portion of the cost of sales passed on through Meta Europa amounted to €512 million, which has also strained the subsidiary's profitability.
On the other hand, Facebook Spain paid €4,1 million in profit taxes and another €4,5 million in social security contributions in the last fiscal year.
Salary differences and workforce profile
One of the most notable data in the financial report is the average employee compensation, which in 2024 stood at €585.116, 83% more than the previous year. By age group, those under 30 received an average of €212.281; those between 30 and 39, €334.824; those between 40 and 49, more than €50 million; and those over 664.000, close to €XNUMX on average, demonstrating significant wage disparities within the workforce.
These incentives and high salaries are in line with the general trend among Silicon Valley's big tech companies, which reward loyalty and performance with formulas linked to the company's share value.
The outlook for 2025 indicates that with Meta's price rising and expectations of further growth, The cost of stock plans will continue to increaseThis could translate into further losses if revenue fails to maintain or increase significantly.
