Meta Platforms owns WhatsApp, the messaging service founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton.
Koum and Acton, both former Yahoo employees, founded WhatsApp in 2009. The service initially centered on status updates, then developed into an internet-based messaging platform. It became popular internationally because it supported messaging over data connections and worked across mobile operating systems.
Facebook, now Meta Platforms, announced its agreement to acquire WhatsApp in February 2014. The transaction was valued at approximately $19.3 billion when completed, including cash, stock, and restricted stock units. WhatsApp continued operating as a separate service after the acquisition.
WhatsApp is often mixed up with Meta's Messenger, which originated as Facebook's own messaging product. Telegram, WeChat, and Signal are separate services owned or operated by different organizations. WhatsApp provides text messaging, voice calls, video calls, group chats, and media sharing.