Shares of the professional social network surged nearly 50% after news of a Microsoft acquisition sent Reid Hoffman's fortune soaring.

On June 13, Microsoft announced the purchase of professional social network LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in cash. This is the software giant's largest acquisition, surpassing the $8.5 billion spent on Skype in 2011 and the $7.2 billion spent on Nokia's mobile division in 2013.

The biggest individual beneficiary of the deal was LinkedIn founder and chairman Reid Hoffman, whose fortune increased by more than $800 million this morning as LinkedIn shares surged nearly 50% to $192.

Reid Hoffman - Chairman and founder of LinkedIn.

According to Forbes, his current fortune is $3.7 billion. However, when the transaction is complete, Hoffman will have to pay state and federal taxes on the shares sold to Microsoft. At that time, this figure will only be $2.95 billion.

"Today feels like a rebirth for LinkedIn. I see a huge opportunity for our members and customers and want to contribute to the new business," Hoffman said in a statement.

This is a huge boost for Hoffman. In February, LinkedIn lost more than $10 billion in market value in a single day when its stock plunged on a weak earnings report. Hoffman lost more than $1 billion that day.

Although LinkedIn reported a 19% increase in users in the first quarter of this year, its stock has yet to recover and is far below its peak of $270 in February 2015.

Dubbed "the most connected person in Silicon Valley," Hoffman is also an investor at Greylock Partners, investing in companies like Airbnb and Zynga. Hoffman was also one of the earliest investors in Facebook.

Some of those who benefited from the Microsoft-LinkedIn deal include Sequoia Capital’s Michael Moritz, whose shares are now worth $129 million, up $41 million from last week. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner’s 408,000 shares are now worth $78 million.

According to VnExpress