While WhatsApp was initially designed for private use, the need to expand its reach to support businesses quickly became apparent. And like all valuable apps, WhatsApp's evolution has been influenced by a range of factors. Fast forward to 2014, and Facebook acquired WhatsApp for a cool US$1.5 billion. What's equally surprising is that Acton and Koum were rejected by Facebook when applying for roles in the social media giant's dev team. But there was a good chance that they hadn’t imagined the level of success they would achieve. Back in 2009, founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum, both former Yahoo! employees realized the potential of the iPhone app store. There’s much about WhatsApp’s story that makes it one of the most interesting of our time.

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Whatsapp creator