Brian Acton

$3.58 B

Ranked #1158 in World

About Brian Acton

American tech mogul Brian Acton, the interim CEO of Signal Messenger LLC, is known for co-founding WhatsApp, sold to Facebook for a staggering $19 billion in 2014. A Stanford grad, Acton's journey in tech began at corporations such as Apple and Adobe, leading to a prolific career at Yahoo with fellow entrepreneur Jan Koum. Acton, who boasts a net worth of $2.5 billion, initiated the Signal Foundation post-WhatsApp to enhance encrypted communications. His philanthropic endeavors include over $1 billion in donations to various causes.

Born

February 17, 1972 in Michigan, U.S.

Age

54 years

Source Of Wealth

Industries

Technology

Citizenship

United States

Residence

Palo Alto, California

Education

Bachelor of Arts/Science, Stanford University

Spouse

Tegan Acton

Brian Acton, an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur, was born in Michigan and later moved to Central Florida. He graduated from Lake Howell High School and received a full scholarship to study engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. However, he left after a year and eventually graduated from Stanford University in 1994 with a degree in computer science.

Brian Acton: Family

Brian Acton is married to Tegan Acton, and they reside in Palo Alto, California.

Brian Acton: Career Highlights

Brian Acton's career highlights include:

Systems administrator for Rockwell International in 1992.
Product tester at Apple Inc. and Adobe Systems.
Joined Yahoo Inc. in 1996 and worked with Jan Koum for nine years.
Invested in the dot-com boom and lost millions in the dot-com bubble of 2000.
Left Yahoo! in 2007 and took a year off, travelling around South America.
Unsuccessfully applied to work at Facebook with Koum.
Developed the idea for WhatsApp and incorporated WhatsApp Inc. in 2009.
Sold WhatsApp to Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion in cash and stock.
Left WhatsApp in September 2017 due to disputes with Facebook over monetization.
Started the Signal Foundation in 2017 to promote private communication through encrypted messaging.
Currently serves as a board member of the Signal Foundation.

Brian Acton: Companies

Brian Acton has been involved with the following companies:

Rockwell International
Apple Inc.
Adobe Systems
Yahoo Inc.
WhatsApp Inc.
Signal Foundation

Brian Acton: Major Achievements

Brian Acton's major achievements include:

Co-founded WhatsApp with Jan Koum, which was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion in 2014.
Started the Signal Foundation to promote private communication through encrypted messaging.
Established Wildcard Giving, a philanthropic network with three sister foundations: Sunlight Giving, Acton Family Giving, and Solidarity Giving.

Brian Acton: Awards & Achievements

Brian Acton has received the following awards and achievements:

Forbes 400 list of richest Americans (2018)
Time 100 list of most influential people in the world (2018)
Webby Award for Best Social App (2016)
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2014)

Brian Acton: Personal Life & Legacy

Brian Acton is known for his philanthropy and has given over $1 billion to charitable causes over his lifetime.

He is also an advocate for privacy and has been critical of Facebook's data collection practices.

Brian Acton: Trivia

Here are some trivia about Brian Acton:

He is a fan of the Grateful Dead and has attended over 100 of their concerts.
He is a licensed pilot and owns a small plane.
He is a vegetarian and has been for over 20 years.
He is a supporter of the Democratic Party and has donated to several Democratic candidates.

Wealth History

Timeline

1972

Brian Acton was born in Michigan.

1992

Worked as a systems administrator for Rockwell International.

1994

Graduated from Stanford University with a degree in computer science.

1996

Joined Yahoo Inc. and worked with Jan Koum for nine years.

2000

Invested in the dot-com boom and lost millions in the dot-com bubble.

2007

Left Yahoo! and took a year off, travelling around South America.

2009

Koum bought an iPhone and realized the potential of the App Store. Developed the idea for WhatsApp and incorporated WhatsApp Inc.

2014

Sold WhatsApp to Facebook for $19 billion in cash and stock.

2016

Led a funding round for Trak N Tell, raising $3.5 million.

September 2017

Left WhatsApp due to disputes with Facebook over monetization.

2017

Started the Signal Foundation to promote private communication through encrypted messaging.

2018

Publicly supported the #DeleteFacebook movement.

2019

Brian Acton and his wife have given over $1 billion to charitable causes over their lifetimes (Forbes, 2019).

Brian Acton : FAQs

What is Brian Acton's current net worth?

Brian Acton's current net worth is $3.58 billion.

What is Brian Acton's current global rank among billionaires?

Brian Acton holds the 1158th position globally among billionaires.

What is Brian Acton's current ranking within the United States?

Brian Acton holds the 426th position in United States.

What was the change in Brian Acton's net worth compared to the previous year?

Brian Acton's net worth decreased by 0 million dollars compared to the previous year 2025, when his net worth was 3.58 billion dollars.

What are Brian Acton's main sources of wealth?

Brian Acton's main source of income comes from WhatsApp.

In which industry does Brian Acton primarily operate?

Brian Acton is primarily involved in the Technology industry.

What is Brian Acton educational background?

Brian Acton holds a Bachelor of Arts/Science from Stanford University.

How old is Brian Acton?

Brian Acton is 54 years old.

How many children does Brian Acton have?

Brian Acton has 1 children.

Who is Brian Acton and what companies did he co-found?

Brian Acton is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Signal Technology Foundation and WhatsApp.

Why did Brian Acton leave WhatsApp and what did he do afterwards?

Brian Acton left WhatsApp in September 2017 due to disputes over monetization with Facebook and subsequently started the Signal Foundation.

What are Brian Acton's contributions to philanthropy?

Brian Acton established Wildcard Giving, which includes Sunlight Giving, Acton Family Giving, and Solidarity Giving, contributing over $1 billion to charitable causes.