Date of Birth: February 17, 1972
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Biography
Brian Acton is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known as the co-founder of WhatsApp, a mobile messaging application that was acquired by Facebook Inc. in 2014 for a staggering $19 billion. Born and raised in Michigan, Acton attended Stanford University, where he earned a degree in computer science. After graduating, he worked for various tech companies, including Apple and Yahoo. His experience in these companies, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, led him to co-found WhatsApp in 2009 with Jan Koum. Post-acquisition, Acton left WhatsApp in 2017 due to disagreements over the app’s monetization strategy and later founded the Signal Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on developing open-source privacy technology.
5 Interesting Facts about Brian Acton
1. Brian Acton was rejected by both Facebook and Twitter when he applied for jobs at these companies in 2009.
2. He co-founded WhatsApp with Jan Koum, who was also a former Yahoo employee.
3. Acton donated $50 million to the Signal Foundation to kickstart its mission of creating a secure and private communication platform.
4. He is an advocate for digital privacy and has been vocal about his concerns regarding data privacy issues.
5. Acton left WhatsApp in 2017 due to disagreements over the app’s advertising model and monetization strategies.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Brian Acton
1. “Dealing with ads is depressing. You don’t make anyone’s life better by making advertisements work better.”
2. “I sold my users’ privacy to a larger benefit. I made a choice and a compromise. And I live with that every day.”
3. “Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA.”
4. “We are fundamentally against the idea of advertising.”
5. “We want to build a product that empowers people to communicate without being exploited by advertising.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
$6.9 billion (highest net worth achieved)
Children
Brian Acton has one child, a son, whose name is not publicly disclosed to maintain privacy.
Relevant Links
1. [Brian Acton’s Twitter](https://twitter.com/brianacton
2. [Brian Acton on Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/profile/brian-acton/
4. [Brian Acton on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianacton/
5. [Signal Foundation](https://signalfoundation.org/
