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DARK SECRETS: Jan koum | Vintage Vibes

Facebook rejected Brian Acton’s job application in 2009: Five years later, it paid him $19 billion to buy WhatsApp

Facebook rejected Brian Acton for a job in 2009. He later co-founded WhatsApp, which grew rapidly. Smartphones changed communication, and WhatsApp offered simple messaging. Facebook acquired WhatsApp for up to $19 billion in 2014. This marked a significant irony in the technology industry.

The Times of India

'The gift reflects...': Why WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum donates $200 million to a Jerusalem hospital now

Co-founder and former CEO of WhatsApp Jan Koum has created a ripple as he donated $200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, the largest single donation ever made to an Israeli hospital. While Koum is known for his past philanthropic gestures for Jewish causes, this one is significant…

The Times of India

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum donated $200 million to Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek hospital, tripling its size with a 24-story surgical and emergency tower

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum has donated $200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, renaming it Koum Shaare Zedek. This record-breaking gift will fund a new 24-story tower, significantly expanding the hospital's capacity and medical facilities. Koum's journey from welfare recipient to major philanthropist highlights a broader trend of…

The Economic Times

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In 2009, Jan Koum built a status app that kept failing: Adding messaging to fix it helped create whatsApp

Initially launched as a simple status update platform, WhatsApp struggled to capture the user base it desired. However, with the clever addition of messaging features, it evolved into a powerhouse of real-time communication. This transformation fostered continuous dialogue and formed lasting connections across distances, ultimately leading to its solidification as…

The Economic Times

WhatsApp introduces ads, fulfilling a plan its cofounders hated so much they left over it

Cofounders Brian Acton and Jan Koum once promised “absolutely no ads” in WhatsApp. Meta won.

Fortune

I’m a refugee-turned-entrepreneur and Oxford professor. Here’s what we can all learn from the immigrant entrepreneurs who make America great

Certain principles commonly applied by immigrant entrepreneurs help explain their success—and can be borrowed.

Fortune

The Biggest Yachts Owned By Tech Billionaires

The exclusive world of superyachts has seen an influx of tech billionaires joining the ranks of owners in recent years. With their vast fortunes, figures like Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg have been able to commission some of the largest and most advanced yachts afloat. Here's a look…

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Pro-Trump Super Pacs Receive Millions In Last-Minute Donations

Wealthy donors contribute millions to pro-Trump super PACs, impacting the 2024 campaign.

Top News

Pro-Israel groups have set sights on unseating this progressive lawmaker. Will they succeed?

Challenger Wesley Bell switched party lines to vie for Bush’s Missouri seat and has reaped millions from normally Republican-supporting donors

The Guardian - US

The pro-Israel groups planning to spend millions in US elections

A handful of groups, led by Aipac, have been a powerful force in American politics – but has Israel’s war in Gaza changed the equation?

The Guardian - US

WhatsApp Founder Brian Acton’s Missed Opportunity At Facebook Leads To $3 Billion Windfall

Rejected by Facebook in 2009, Acton's decision to launch WhatsApp pays off with a $3 billion acquisition deal

Zenger

WhatsApp major update for millions of users that will change phone calls forever

The favoured instant messaging service is trialling the new update, which allows people to join calls with more than one person

Chronicle Live

Millions of WhatsApp users alerted over update that changes phone calls forever

WhatsApp is now testing a new update that lets you create links to join phone calls with more than one person

People

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