WhatsApp's CEO Is Suddenly Leaving Facebook. It Could Cost Him $1B

http://time.com/5261207/whatsapp-ceo-jay-koum-exit/

by mromanuk • 8 years ago

53 28 8 years ago

everdev• 8 years ago

Koum’s decision may be made easier thanks to the $10.4 billion fortune he’s already accrued, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He’s already sold $8 billion worth of Facebook stock since 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

What's the point of FU money if you never say FU? Good for him.

1024core• 8 years ago

On the other hand: if he could hold his nose and hang on for another 7 months, he'd make $1B, which, if he donated to a cause, could really change things.

crunchlibrarian3• 8 years ago

Lots of successful exits recently, many new millionaires and billionaires. Not a lot of causes changing things, at least not that I've been seeing.

I did see a homeless encampment get bulldozed the other day. The day before that I watched a Vietnam Vet take a dump on the sidewalk, we made awkward eye contact.

Not sure where all those billions are going but the "cause" does not seem to be moving forward.

toomuchtodo• 8 years ago

7 months could be an eternal hell in his role.

Drakim• 8 years ago

He could also quit today and Facebook could donate the $1B and you'd end up exactly the same.

this_user• 8 years ago

It might be question of opportunity costs for him. Maybe he has some project or idea that he wants to realise. Seven months can be a long time in the tech industry.

kaolti• 8 years ago

Joe Rogan fan right there.

therealmarv• 8 years ago

If you have 10 billion+ you maybe do not care anymore.

gamw_mana_sou• 8 years ago

I hardly make 0.00001% of that per month. He got quite rich indeed.

whack• 8 years ago

The stock vests in increments until late 2018, with 1.9 million shares due to vest in mid-May and mid-August, plus a final tranche of 2.1 million set to be issued in November.

The guy could have collected $336M, if he had just stayed for 2 more weeks. If it were me, I would have just grinded out those 2 weeks, and given the extra $300M to my favorite charity. I guess he must have really hated being at FB...

r00fus• 8 years ago

It's highly likely his choice was more complicated than that. His net worth is $10B, so $300M isn't exactly pocket change, but it's possible by exiting now he got to make a statement and disavow involvement in future decisions.

Is it possible this is his way of indicating a clear canary event?

cpeterso• 8 years ago

Staying longer also has opportunity costs. The article says he will take "some time off to do things I enjoy", but perhaps one of the things he enjoys is a new $10B startup.

Lionsion• 8 years ago

The guy could have collected $336M, if he had just stayed for 2 more weeks. If it were me, I would have just grinded out those 2 weeks, and given the extra $300M to my favorite charity. I guess he must have really hated being at FB...

He he could've given an even larger donation to Signal than his co-founder did.

auchenberg• 8 years ago

With $10.4 billion, that would make it the annual return on his investments.

ronzensci• 8 years ago

Can someone give the link to Koum's Facebook post?

esnard• 8 years ago

https://www.facebook.com/jan.koum/posts/10156227307390011

rando444• 8 years ago

The Washington Post reported earlier that Koum is exiting the company after clashing with Facebook over strategy

I think it's a very important point to make that a large part of the strategy that was being debated was weakening the encryption. [0]

At least as far as I'm concerned, that is one of the more important parts of the story that I don't feel is being discussed enough, or in cases of articles like this, entirely glossed over.

[0] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/hours...

samfisher83• 8 years ago

He could spend 500k a day every single day for 50+ years and still not spend what he has. I think at some point the money doesn't matters.

Traubenfuchs• 8 years ago

There is a difference between buying a small island for fun and buying a small island and building your own fully staffed pleasure paradise with an airport. My imagination has no limit on how to use infinite ever increasing amounts of money.

dnel• 8 years ago

I sometimes wonder what motivates obscenely rich people to continue working, particularly when that work is as controversial as Facebook. The values of these people are clearly different from mine. In Koum's shoes I'd probably make the same decision, he doesn't need to work another day in his life if he doesn't want to so he has no excuse to violate his personal beliefs.

WhatsApp's CEO Is Suddenly Leaving Facebook. It Could Cost Him $1B

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