Banks Race to Fund Internet Bubble 2.0

"How much is [Facebook founder] Mark Zuckerberg taking off the table?" the banker asks. "Doesn't that take the guy's eye off the ball a little bit as opposed to having options, where he can see every day how they do and he's motivated--that's the part I don't like."

But concerns like these are not nearly enough to stop the party. Reports this week say JPMorgan will offer clients a chance to invest in Twitter through a $1.22 billion Digital Growth Fund. JPMorgan will not invest directly in Twitter, but is investing in another fund run by investor Chris Sacca which has a Twitter stake, according to the blog TechCrunch.

Twitter founder Biz Stone told Reuters the company was not in talks with JPMorgan and didn't need additional funds, as some reports had suggested. Those statements, however, do not appear to rule out JPMorgan acquiring outstanding Twitter shares on the secondary market, which is what TechCrunch reported.

Both the Goldman and JPMorgan deals are notable for the fact that they appear to be orchestrated out of the wealth management arms of those institutions--traditionally not their most important businesses, but ones that may take on more influence as firms see greater profit potential there in the post-crisis landscape.

"Firms like JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs feel compelled to fill any perceived need of any of their clients and so the social network is good cocktail party talk and some people may want to participate," says money management adviser Lipper.

Lipper does not believe Goldman and JPMorgan are using the lure of a Facebook or Twitter investment to bring in new clients, though he says they may be trying to bring in new money from existing clients. Spokesmen for Goldman and JPMorgan declined all comment.

Goldman and JPMorgan's strategies point to the attractiveness of wealth management to banks as they retool themselves in the wake of the crisis. Goldman, Morgan Stanley (MS), and Bank of America(BAC) have been particularly aggressive in building up wealth management, though many other institutions have emphasized plans to grow in this area. And UBS(UBS), a longtime industry leader damaged by a I.R.S. crackdown on tax evasion, is working hard to defend its turf.

"Wealth management is a generally a very profitable business, but there's some stiff reputational risk," says Derek Pilecki who runs hedge fund Gator Capital Management in Tampa, Fla. Pilecki notes the business is much more stable than lending or securities issuing, blowups from which were at the center of the recent crisis.

Despite the wealth management angle, good old fashioned initial public offerings are still a big part of Wall Street's latest fascination with Internet companies. A prime example is the more than 30% pop seen by shares of Demand Media(DMD) on the day of its IPO Jan. 26. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were the lead underwriters. LinkedIn has also filed to go public, in a deal that will be led by JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America. Groupon is also reported to be eyeing an IPO that could value the company at $15 billion, according to The New York Times and other reports.

Watch also for the Wall Street hiring machine to join the fray. Among recent moves were Credit Suisse(CS)'s luring of JPMorgan senior analyst Imran Khan into its investment banking ranks, as it tries to compete with alumnus and Silicon Valley fixture Frank Quattrone. JPMorgan lost little time in poaching Barclays PLC(BCS) analyst Doug Anmuth to replace Khan, as TheStreet reported Tuesday.