Who owns WhatsApp Meta - briefly?
WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, Inc. The company acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for approximately $19 billion.
Who owns WhatsApp Meta - in detail?
The ownership of WhatsApp, now a subsidiary of Meta Platforms Inc., can be traced back to its inception and subsequent acquisitions. WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, former employees of Yahoo!. Their vision was to create a user-friendly messaging platform that could replace the traditional SMS system. The company quickly gained traction due to its simplicity and efficiency, growing from a few thousand users to millions within a short span of time.
In February 2014, Facebook, Inc., now known as Meta Platforms Inc., acquired WhatsApp for approximately $19 billion. This acquisition marked a significant milestone in the tech industry, reflecting Facebook's strategy to expand its reach into mobile messaging. At the time of the acquisition, WhatsApp had over 450 million active users worldwide. The deal included cash and stock, with the founders, Acton and Koum, joining Facebook’s board of directors.
After the acquisition, WhatsApp continued to operate as an independent entity within Facebook's ecosystem. However, in 2018, both co-founders left the company due to disagreements over the future direction of the platform and the integration with Facebook. Despite their departure, WhatsApp has since become one of the most widely used messaging platforms globally, with over two billion users as of 2021.
The ownership structure of WhatsApp under Meta Platforms Inc. is straightforward. As a subsidiary, WhatsApp is fully owned by Meta, which exercises control over its operations and strategic decisions. This integration allows for synergies between the platforms, such as data sharing and enhanced user experiences across Facebook's suite of applications.
In conclusion, while WhatsApp was initially an independent venture created by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, it is now a fully-owned subsidiary of Meta Platforms Inc., following the 2014 acquisition. This ownership structure has facilitated the platform’s growth and integration into Meta's broader ecosystem, contributing to its global success.