Who created WhatsApp, what is his name - briefly?
Brian Acton and Jan Koum co-founded WhatsApp in 2009.
Who created WhatsApp, what is his name - in detail?
Jan Koum, a Ukrainian-born American entrepreneur, is the co-founder of WhatsApp. Born on February 24, 1976, in Kyiv (then part of the Soviet Union), Koum's journey to creating one of the world's most popular messaging platforms began with humble origins.
Koum's family immigrated to the United States when he was 16 years old, settling in Mountain View, California. He attended San Jose State University but dropped out to pursue a career in programming and networking. In the late 1990s, Koum worked at Yahoo as an infrastructure engineer, where he met Brian Acton, who would later become his business partner.
The idea for WhatsApp came about when Koum noticed that people were using their phone numbers to identify themselves online, similar to how they used their names in the real world. He saw an opportunity to create a messaging app that could use phone numbers as unique identifiers. In 2009, after leaving Yahoo, Koum and Acton founded WhatsApp Inc. in California.
WhatsApp was officially launched on January 24, 2009. The app quickly gained popularity due to its simplicity, ease of use, and the fact that it allowed users to send messages without having to pay for SMS. Within a few years, WhatsApp became one of the most popular messaging apps globally, with millions of users across different platforms.
In February 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for approximately $19 billion in cash and stock. Despite this acquisition, Koum remained committed to maintaining WhatsApp's independence and focus on user privacy. He served as the CEO of WhatsApp until April 2018, when he announced his departure from the company, citing disagreements with Facebook over issues related to user data and targeted advertising.
Jan Koum's creation of WhatsApp has significantly impacted global communication, making it easier and more affordable for people worldwide to stay connected. His vision and entrepreneurial spirit have left a lasting mark on the tech industry, demonstrating the power of innovation and the potential for disruptive technologies to transform everyday life.