Brian Acton

Brian Acton is a technology entrepreneur, computer programmer, and privacy advocate recognized as the co-founder of WhatsApp, a messaging application used by billions globally. Acton holds a computer science degree from Stanford University and has held positions at Rockwell International, Apple, Adobe Systems, and Yahoo, where he worked for more than a decade and met future business partner Jan Koum. After leaving Yahoo, Acton and Koum were rejected for jobs at Facebook, a development that later influenced their entrepreneurial path.

Acton and Koum co-founded WhatsApp, a mobile messaging platform designed with a focus on simplicity, reliability, and user privacy, intentionally avoiding ads, games, and other distractions. The app experienced rapid growth, attracting hundreds of millions of users who valued its secure communication features. Facebook acquired WhatsApp for approximately $19 billion in cash and stock, making it one of the largest technology acquisitions to date. Forbes reported that Acton held more than 20 percent of the company at the time of the acquisition.

Acton continued at WhatsApp following the acquisition but left after disagreements with Facebook regarding the platform's monetization through advertising and data sharing, which conflicted with WhatsApp's founding principles. He left behind an estimated $850 million in unvested stock options. Acton's departure drew significant attention, and he later publicly supported the #DeleteFacebook movement during the Cambridge Analytica scandal, becoming a prominent critic of Facebook's data privacy practices.

After leaving WhatsApp, Acton co-founded the Signal Foundation with cryptographer Moxie Marlinspike, investing $50 million to develop Signal, an open-source encrypted messaging app focused on user privacy. Acton serves as executive chairperson of the Signal Technology Foundation and interim CEO of Signal Messenger LLC. Under his leadership, Signal has become a preferred platform for secure communication among journalists, human rights advocates, and privacy-focused users worldwide. In addition to his work in technology, Acton has contributed more than $1 billion to charitable causes through organizations such as Sunlight Giving, which supports low-income families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Acton's career reflects significant developments in secure messaging, data privacy, and technology entrepreneurship.