Mobile instant messaging service WhatsApp has today been purchased by Facebook for an eye-watering $19 billion.
Founded in 2009 by former Yahoo! employees Brian Acton and Jan Koum (also CEO) WhatsApp found one hell of a niche in the mobile instant messaging market. The fact that their service was available cross-network and cross-platform meant that avid texters had a way to chat with their friends, either one-to-one or in groups, for free. WhatsApp caught on in a huge way, and now has 400 million active users every month sending ten billion messages every day.
$19 billion isn’t bad for a day’s work, and the story gets even more incredible when you learn the story of co-founder Brian Acton.
A quick glance at Acton’s personal Twitter, which has barely been touched in the five years since he created it, reveals these two tweets:
Got denied by Twitter HQ. That’s ok. Would have been a long commute.
– Brian Acton (@brianacton) May 23, 2009
Facebook turned me down. It was a great opportunity to connect with some fantastic people. Looking forward to life’s next adventure.
– Brian Acton (@brianacton) August 3, 2009
Yes, Mark Zuckerberg could have saved himself $19 billion if he’d just given Acton a job four and a half years ago. All’s well that ends well eh?