description Jan Koum Overview
Jan Koum is a Ukrainian-born American technology entrepreneur who co-founded the mobile messaging service WhatsApp with Brian Acton in 2009. WhatsApp emphasized simple, phone-number-based communication and later added group messaging and voice calling while generally avoiding advertising in its early development. Facebook agreed to acquire the company in 2014 in a transaction initially valued at about $19 billion, and Koum subsequently joined Facebook's board before leaving in 2018.
help Jan Koum FAQ
Why did Jan Koum and Brian Acton create WhatsApp?
Koum and Acton founded WhatsApp in 2009 after working together at Yahoo. The service evolved from a phone-status concept into simple messaging tied to a user's mobile number.
How much did Facebook pay for WhatsApp?
Facebook announced the WhatsApp acquisition in 2014 in a deal initially valued at about $19 billion in cash and stock. The final value was higher by closing because Facebook's share price had risen.
Why did WhatsApp originally charge an annual fee?
WhatsApp used a small subscription model in some markets rather than building its business around display advertising. The company removed the annual fee in 2016, after it had already been acquired by Facebook.
When did Jan Koum leave WhatsApp and Facebook?
Koum announced his departure in 2018, four years after Facebook agreed to acquire WhatsApp. Brian Acton had left earlier and later co-founded the nonprofit Signal Foundation with Moxie Marlinspike.
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