Brian Acton sold WhatsApp for millions and, after tensions with Facebook, resigned to focus on projects more aligned with his values.
Bad work relationships can lead to drastic decisions, from resignations to the search for new horizons. According to the International Labor Organizationmore than 743 million workers experienced some type of workplace violence. Brian Acton experienced a similar scenario when, after selling WhatsApp to Facebook for millions, decided to leave the company due to its ethical differences.
Differences between Acton and Facebook management arose over his opposition to certain business practices, which ultimately led him to resign. This resignation marked a new chapter in his life, moving away from a technology giant to focus on projects more aligned with his principles.
Brian Acton 2.jfif
From being rejected by Mark Zuckerberg to selling his company to him: the story of Brian Acton
This millionaire was born in Michigan and grew up in Florida. From a young age he showed an inclination for technology. Study Computer Science at Stanford, which catapulted him to his first work experience in Rockwell International in 1992. Acton acquired experience in systems and technology, which was key to his future as an entrepreneur. After working in Apple and Yahoo!, faced one of the biggest challenges: the stock bubble dot-com It almost bankrupted him.
In that context, together with his friend Jan KoumActon tried to log into Facebook, but was rejected. However, this refusal was the impetus he needed to found WhatsApp in 2009. Taking advantage of the rise of smartphonesthe application revolutionized the way of communicating globally, standing out for its simplicity and functionality. Although in its first years it did not generate large income, the App grew rapidly until it became the World’s leading messaging application.
Brian Acton 3.jpg
In 2014, Facebook, the same company that had rejected Acton years before, made him an irresistible offer: buy WhatsApp for 22 billion dollars. This move was one of the most surprising acquisitions of the century and sealed Acton’s fate as one of the great technology entrepreneurs.
But what seemed like it was going to be the beginning of something very prosperous, soon began to show signs that it was not going to go very far. The founding duo of the application used by millions of people in the world were supporters of the privacy who believed that their encryption system had been integral to their global growth. However, Zuckerberg wanted to implement monetization initiatives in the application without his consent, so Acton decided to leave the company, making it clear that things were not going well by writing in his X account: “It’s time. #deletefacebook.”
How much is Brian Acton’s fortune, according to Forbes?
At 52 years old, Acton has a fortune estimated at 3.4 billion dollars, according to Forbes. Despite his success, Acton has a more low-key profile in terms of his wealth. In 2018, he made a significant donation of $50 million to Signal Foundationan organization that promotes private and secure communication through its application signal.
The engineer and his wife, Tegan, are also committed to philanthropy, having founded three other charities. In total, the couple spent more than billion dollars to its charitable vehicles, consolidating not only as entrepreneurs, but also as key figures in the field of social responsibility.
Source: Ambito
