Who created WhatsApp and who owns it - briefly?
Jan Koum and Brian Acton created WhatsApp in 2009. Facebook acquired the company in 2014 for $19 billion, making Mark Zuckerberg the current owner.
Who created WhatsApp and who owns it - in detail?
WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging application, was created by Brian Acton and Jan Koum. The two founders met while working at Yahoo! in 2009. Acton left his job in September of that year, followed by Koum in 2014. They both applied for jobs at Facebook but were rejected. This rejection spurred them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and focus on creating a new application.
In January 2009, Acton and Koum incorporated WhatsApp Inc. in California. The app was officially launched on iPhone in November 2009, followed by an Android version in August 2010, and a Windows Phone version in early 2014. The core idea behind WhatsApp was to provide users with a simple, reliable, and free way to communicate using the internet.
WhatsApp's success caught the attention of major tech companies. In February 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp Inc. for approximately $19 billion. This acquisition marked one of the largest deals in Silicon Valley history. As part of the agreement, Jan Koum joined Facebook’s board of directors.
After the acquisition, both Acton and Koum stayed with the company for some time. However, they eventually left due to disagreements with Facebook over privacy issues and the future direction of WhatsApp. Acton departed in September 2017, and Koum followed in April 2018.
Currently, WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms Inc., which was formerly known as Facebook Inc. The app continues to be one of the most widely used messaging platforms globally, with over two billion users across more than 180 countries. Under Meta's ownership, WhatsApp has expanded its features to include end-to-end encryption, voice and video calls, and business accounts, among others.
In summary, WhatsApp was created by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, who built the application with a focus on simplicity and reliability. After Facebook's acquisition in 2014, the ownership transitioned to Meta Platforms Inc., which has continued to develop and enhance the app’s features while maintaining its global user base.