Biography

Brian Acton: The Inspiring Tech Billionaire

Brian Acton 1

Overview

Brian Acton is an American entrepreneur and billionaire, best known as the co-founder of WhatsApp. He is one of the most successful tech entrepreneurs of his time. With an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion, Acton has made fortunes through innovative startups and investments.

Early Life and Education

Acton was born on February 17, 1972, in Michigan, USA. His father worked as a sales representative, and his mother was a stay-at-home mom. He was raised in a middle-class family and had a typical childhood.

Acton attended Central Michigan University, where he graduated in 1994 with a degree in computer science. After graduation, he started working as a software engineer at Rockwell International. Later, he worked at Yahoo as an infrastructure engineer.

Career and Achievements

In 2009, Acton, along with Jan Koum, founded WhatsApp, a mobile messaging app. Initially, the app didn’t gain much attention but later became popular due to its simplicity and ease of use. WhatsApp grew exponentially and in 2014, Facebook acquired it for $19 billion, making Acton and Koum billionaires.

Acton is also an investor and has invested in several startups, including Signal, an encrypted messaging app. In 2018, he donated $50 million to Signal Foundation.

Personal Life

Acton is a private person and doesn’t share much about his personal life. He is married and has three children. He is also known for his philanthropic efforts and has donated millions of dollars to various causes.

Profile

Name Brian Acton
Born February 17, 1972
Country United States
Sector Technology
Companies WhatsApp, Signal
Net Worth $3.8 billion
Forbes URL https://www.forbes.com/profile/brian-acton/
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