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that he left over a dispute with
Facebook regarding monetization of WhatsApp, and voluntarily left $ 850 million in unvested options on the table by leaving a few months before vesting was completed. He also said that he was coached by Facebook executives to mislead European regulators regarding
368:
The couple started
Sunlight Giving in 2014, a family foundation dedicated to supporting the basic services of low-income families with young children ages 0–5. It also provides support for safe spaces and organizations that ensure food security, housing stability, and healthcare access. The
290:. He visited his friend Alex Fishman and talked about developing an app. Koum almost immediately chose the name WhatsApp because it sounded like "what's up", and a week later on his birthday, Feb. 24, 2009, he incorporated WhatsApp Inc. in California.
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movement, in a "new level of public backlash". In
November 2019, the journalist Steven Levy asked Acton why he decided to make his feelings so public. Acton said he felt that it was time because there was pressure unfolding against Facebook.
334:. This funding was a loan from Acton to the new non-profit Signal Technology Foundation. By the end of 2018, the loan had increased to $ 105,000,400, due to be repaid on February 28, 2068. The loan is unsecured and carries nil interest.
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Acton and his wife Tegan, on the other hand, have been expanding their philanthropic network, Wildcard Giving, which they founded in 2014 after Acton sold WhatsApp to
Facebook. The couple has given away more than $ 1 billion to charitable
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Since 2014, Acton and his wife Tegan started to build a philanthropic network through the foundation
Wildcard Giving, with three sister foundations: Sunlight Giving, Acton Family Giving and Solidarity Giving.
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of 2000. In
September 2007, Koum and Acton left Yahoo! and took a year off, traveling around South America. They both tried to get jobs at Facebook, but weren't hired. In January 2009, Koum bought an
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327:, which is dedicated to helping people have access to private communication through an encrypted messaging app. Signal is widely used by journalists and human rights activists.
377:. Sunlight Giving has $ 470 million in assets. It granted $ 6.4 million in 2015, $ 19.2 million in 2016, and $ 23.6 million in 2017. This private foundation helped to fund
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1140:"Magnify Community Pledge calls on Silicon Valley millionaires and billionaires to invest more of their philanthropic dollars back into the local community"
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1119:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton invested $ 50 million into the Signal app - here's how he spends his $ 6.9 billion fortune"
1069:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton invested $ 50 million into the Signal app — here's how he spends his $ 6.9 billion fortune"
743:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton invested $ 50 million into the Signal app — here's how he spends his $ 6.9 billion fortune"
822:"Exclusive: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton Gives The Inside Story On #DeleteFacebook And Why He Left $ 850 Million Behind"
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in
February 2014 for US$ 19 billion. Acton left WhatsApp in September 2017 to start the Signal Foundation. According to
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reported that Brian Acton and his wife had given more than $ 1 billion to charitable causes over their lifetimes.
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as a security tester. Over the next nine years, the two worked together at Yahoo. Acton lost millions in the
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In 2016, Acton led a funding round for Trak N Tell and raised $ 3.5 million along with two other investors.
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661:"Exclusive: The Rags-To-Riches Tale Of How Jan Koum Built WhatsApp Into Facebook's New $ 19 Billion Baby"
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In 2014, Koum and Acton sold WhatsApp to
Facebook for approximately US$ 19 billion in cash and stock.
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estimated that Acton held over 20% stake in the company, making his net worth around $ 3.8 billion.
236:
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894:
850:"WhatsApp founder, Brian Acton, says Facebook used him to get its acquisition past EU regulators"
794:"WhatsApp founder, Brian Acton, says Facebook used him to get its acquisition past EU regulators"
381:, a non-profit organization with the goal of redirecting philanthropists' givings to nonprofits.
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and realized that the then seven-month-old App Store was about to spawn a whole new industry of
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211:(2020), Acton is the 836th-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $ 2.5 billion.
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895:"WhatsApp's Brian Acton to talk Signal Foundation and leaving Facebook at Disrupt SF"
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was hired as an infrastructure engineer shortly after he met Acton while working at
384:
Also in 2014, Acton helped establish Acton Family Giving and
Solidarity Giving.
630:"WhatsApp Co-Founder Puts $ 50M Into Signal To Supercharge Encrypted Messaging"
1258:
1224:"WhatsApp Co-Founder Brian Acton Assembles an $ 86 Million Palo Alto Compound"
946:"WhatsApp Cofounder Promotes #deletefacebook Amid Cambridge Analytica Scandal"
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In
February 2018, it was announced that Acton was investing $ 50 million into
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University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni
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1166:"Billionaire WhatsApp cofounder is leaving Facebook to start a nonprofit"
964:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton still thinks you should delete Facebook"
921:"Signal Technology Foundation - Form 990 for period ending December 2018"
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602:"Facebook turned down WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton for job in 2009"
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689:"WhatsApp Founders Become Billionaires In $ 19 Billion Facebook Deal"
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Acton left WhatsApp in September 2017 to start a new foundation, the
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768:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton is leaving to start a non-profit"
186:
576:"Billionaire-to-be Brian Acton got techstart at Lake Howell High"
988:
453:. California Secretary of State. August 28, 2018. Archived from
235:, but left after a year to study at Stanford. He graduated from
231:. Acton received a full scholarship to study engineering at the
315:
Facebook's intention to merge Facebook and WhatsApp user data.
162:(born February 17, 1972) is an American business executive and
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Acton is currently a board member of the Signal Foundation.
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Zuckerberg Bonded With WhatsApp CEO Over Coffee and Dinners
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reported that Acton had publicly tweeted support for the
717:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton invests in Trak N Tell"
373:
families with children age five and below living in the
182:
chief executive officer (CEO) of Signal Messenger LLC.
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Marlinspike, Moxie; Acton, Brian (February 21, 2018).
310:In September 2017, Acton left WhatsApp. Acton told
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877:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton to leave company"
536:"WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton to leave company"
247:In 1992, Acton became a systems administrator for
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1338:Stanford University School of Engineering alumni
1192:"These Are The Biggest Givers On The Forbes 400"
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399:He is married to Tegan Acton and resides in
239:in 1994 with a degree in computer science.
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479:Marlinspike, Moxie (January 10, 2022).
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16:American business executive (born 1972)
574:Burnett, Richard (February 25, 2015).
251:, before becoming a product tester at
1288:21st-century American philanthropists
1230:from the original on August 26, 2019.
1112:
1110:
848:Lomas, Natasha (September 27, 2018).
792:Lomas, Natasha (September 27, 2018).
7:
1343:University of Central Florida alumni
1313:American technology company founders
1283:21st-century American businesspeople
1164:Stangel, Luke (September 13, 2017).
1117:Hoffower, Hillary (March 12, 2018).
624:
622:
270:Two years after Acton joined Yahoo,
962:Schiffer, Zoe (November 8, 2019).
715:Gooptu, Biswarup (July 11, 2016).
14:
1138:King, Danny (November 13, 2019).
659:Parmy Olson (February 19, 2014).
1298:American computer businesspeople
1222:McClain, James (May 31, 2019).
1170:Silicon Valley Business Journal
687:Mac, Ryan (February 19, 2014).
600:Wood, Zoe (February 20, 2014).
1328:Lake Howell High School alumni
178:in 2018. Acton also serves as
1:
1303:American computer programmers
1323:Businesspeople from Michigan
185:He was formerly employed at
172:Signal Technology Foundation
127:Signal Technology Foundation
1308:American software engineers
534:CNBC (September 13, 2017).
174:, which he co-founded with
1374:
447:"Statement of Information"
233:University of Pennsylvania
227:, where he graduated from
451:businesssearch.sos.ca.gov
125:Executive chairperson of
1014:"Home | Wildcard Giving"
215:Early life and education
1094:"Brian and Tegan Acton"
948:, Kathleen Chaykowski,
229:Lake Howell High School
375:San Francisco Bay Area
249:Rockwell International
201:which was acquired by
1293:American billionaires
883:. September 12, 2017.
401:Palo Alto, California
259:. In 1996, he joined
199:messaging application
193:and Acton co-founded
168:executive chairperson
993:signalfoundation.org
369:foundation supports
989:"Signal Foundation"
741:Hoffower, Hillary.
487:. Signal Foundation
481:"New Year, New CEO"
460:on January 24, 2021
422:"Signal Foundation"
337:On March 20, 2018,
237:Stanford University
164:computer programmer
81:computer programmer
60:Stanford University
1018:wildcardgiving.org
925:Nonprofit Explorer
721:The Economic Times
578:. Orlando Sentinel
223:, later moving to
77:Business executive
1318:Apple Inc. people
379:Magnify Community
325:Signal Foundation
276:Ernst & Young
219:Acton grew up in
176:Moxie Marlinspike
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110:Signal Foundation
90:Years active
41:February 17, 1972
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1358:Yahoo! employees
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1201:. Retrieved
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1047:the original
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929:. Retrieved
927:. ProPublica
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611:February 21,
609:. Retrieved
606:The Guardian
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464:February 13,
462:. Retrieved
455:the original
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431:February 21,
429:. Retrieved
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93:1992–present
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1278:1972 births
1259:Brian Acton
1245:Brian Acton
1144:Bizjournals
1043:"our story"
998:October 24,
582:January 22,
545:October 10,
491:January 10,
197:, a mobile
189:. In 2009,
160:Brian Acton
139:Tegan Acton
71:Occupations
25:Brian Acton
1272:Categories
1078:October 5,
899:TechCrunch
855:Techcrunch
833:October 2,
799:Techcrunch
777:October 2,
772:TechCrunch
639:October 2,
519:August 18,
485:signal.org
426:Signal.org
407:References
371:low-income
261:Yahoo Inc.
253:Apple Inc.
37:1972-02-17
968:The Verge
387:In 2019,
56:Education
1228:Archived
1203:June 28,
1175:April 9,
1149:June 14,
1099:June 19,
1053:June 19,
1023:June 28,
905:April 9,
752:April 9,
726:April 9,
294:WhatsApp
272:Jan Koum
221:Michigan
203:Facebook
195:WhatsApp
191:Jan Koum
106:WhatsApp
48:Michigan
1249:Twitter
1210:causes.
973:June 7,
881:Reuters
180:interim
144:Website
1263:Forbes
1197:Forbes
950:Forbes
827:Forbes
694:Forbes
666:Forbes
514:Forbes
389:Forbes
340:Forbes
332:Signal
319:Signal
312:Forbes
301:Forbes
284:iPhone
266:Yahoo!
243:Career
208:Forbes
187:Yahoo!
136:Spouse
50:, U.S.
634:WIRED
458:(PDF)
119:Title
1205:2020
1177:2020
1151:2020
1101:2018
1080:2018
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1025:2020
1000:2020
975:2020
933:2020
907:2020
863:2018
835:2018
807:2018
779:2018
754:2020
728:2020
702:2014
674:2014
641:2018
613:2014
584:2018
547:2017
540:CNBC
521:2020
493:2022
466:2019
433:2018
288:apps
255:and
151:.org
108:and
31:Born
1261:on
1247:on
170:of
64:BCS
1274::
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