One of the co-founders of WhatsApp, the messaging app sold by way of Facebook Inc. For $22 billion 3 years ago, is stepping down to begin a brand new move.
WhatsApp co-founder, Brian Acton
WhatsApp co-founder, Brian Acton is leaving the corporation to start his personal non-profit.
Acton, who began at Facebook when WhatsApp turned into acquired for $19 billion in 2014, is the lesser-acknowledged of WhatsApp’s two co-founders. (CEO Jan Koum is the opposite, and he’s now not leaving the enterprise.) Ironically, Acton interviewed at Facebook again in 2009 after leaving a activity at Yahoo, but he was no longer hired.
Acton led engineering internally for WhatsApp, and a source close to the corporation says he changed into a large advise for WhatsApp’s push into encryption. His position won’t be crammed with the aid of anyone worker, in line with a business enterprise spokesperson.
Acton introduced the departure to colleagues at a WhatsApp all-hands meeting at Facebook headquarters on Tuesday, and posted the news to his Facebook web page later that afternoon.
“I am very lucky at my age to have the ability to take new risks and cognizance on what I'm captivated with,” Acton, 45, wrote in a Facebook submit.
“I've determined to start a non-profit focused at the intersection of nonprofit, technology and communications. It's something I've idea about for some time, and now it's time to simply attention and execute. I'll have more to percentage within the coming months.”
It’s now not completely clean what Acton will recognition on with his new endeavor, however he truly has money to throw round. Forbes estimates Acton’s internet well worth at $6.Five billion.
His departure comes as WhatsApp, which has 1.3 billion users, is getting ready to make some money.
The company is hiring for a number of key enterprise positions, and assets say that WhatsApp is building more than one corporation merchandise with a view to assist organizations message and interact with customers the use of the app. Right now, WhatsApp does not generate any sales.