WhatsApp Co-Founder Brian Acton Is Leaving to Start a Nonprofit
WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton is leaving the Facebook-owned messaging app to start his own nonprofit business.
Acton announced the decision on Facebook, of course:
"After eight years at WhatsApp, I have decided to move on and start a new chapter in my life.
I am very fortunate at my age to have the flexibility to take new risks and focus on what I’m passionate about. I’ve decided to start a nonprofit focused at the intersection of nonprofit, technology and communications. It’s something I’ve thought about for a while, and now it’s time to just focus and execute. I’ll have more to share in the coming months.
This decision is, of course, a tough one. I’m proud of what our team has accomplished in only a few years, and it’s humbling to see that so many people rely on WhatsApp every day."
Acton started WhatsApp with CEO Jan Koum in 2009 after the pair had met working at Yahoo. The team struck it big in 2014 when Facebook agreed to pay $19 billion to buy it, although the price ended up rising to $22 billion thanks to share-based components to the deal.
