in ▁wrote ▁about ▁Friend ster ' s ▁success ▁and ▁the ▁founder ▁appeared ▁on ▁magazine ▁covers ▁and ▁late - night ▁talk ▁shows . ▁Friend ster ' s ▁rapid ▁success ▁inspired ▁a ▁generation ▁of ▁n iche ▁social ▁networking ▁websites ▁including ▁Dog ster ▁and ▁El f ster . ▁ ▁Friend ster ▁had ▁also ▁received ▁competition ▁from ▁all - in - one ▁sites ▁such ▁as ▁Windows ▁Live ▁Sp aces , ▁Y ahoo ! ▁ 3 6 0 , ▁and ▁Facebook . ▁Google ▁offered ▁$ 3 0   mill ion ▁to ▁buy ▁out ▁Friend ster ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁but ▁the ▁offer ▁was ▁turned ▁down . ▁Friend ster ▁was ▁then ▁fund ed ▁by ▁Kle iner , ▁Per kins , ▁C au field ▁& ▁By ers ▁and ▁Ben chmark ▁Capital ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁with ▁a ▁reported ▁valu ation ▁of ▁$ 5 3   mill ion . ▁Friend ster ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁stay ▁private ▁instead ▁of ▁s elling ▁to ▁Google ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁is ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁biggest ▁bl und ers ▁of ▁Sil icon ▁Valley , ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁claims . ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁John ▁Abr ams ▁was ▁removed ▁as ▁CE O ▁and ▁Tim ▁Ko ogle ▁took ▁over ▁as ▁inter im ▁CE O . ▁Ko ogle ▁previously ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁and ▁CE O ▁at ▁Y ahoo !. ▁Ko ogle ▁was ▁later ▁replaced ▁by ▁Scott ▁S assa ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁S assa ▁left ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0