WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum will leave the company over conflicts with Facebook, which bought the messaging service four years ago.
Koum, a Jewish billionaire originally from Ukraine, reportedly also will leave Facebook’s board of directors, according to The Washington Post, which cites people familiar with internal discussions. His date of departure has not been set.
Facebook purchased WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014.
It is believed that Koum is leaving due to disagreement with Facebook over the privacy of user data and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, though Facebook has not confirmed this.
Koum, 42, who is worth more than $9 billion, moved to California with his grandmother and mother at the age of 16.
In a Facebook post Monday, Koum said “it is time for me to move on.”
— JTA
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