I have just deleted WhatsApp from my phone. I am not really sure though what to replace it with for the occasional foreign phone calls.
Signal?
WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
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Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
From the article (first paragraph, too): > Brian Acton, who left Facebook a year ago — before going on to publicly bite the hand that fed him, by voicing support for the #DeleteFacebook movement (and donating $50M to alternative encrypted messaging app, Signal) And: > And for leaving a cool ~$850M in unvested stock on the table by not sticking it out a few more months inside Zuckerberg’s mothership, as co-founder Jan…
You left out the part where he expected and tried to get the $850M but FB’s lawyers pushed back and he settled after burning bridges. $50M is 0.7% of his net worth last I checked (maybe it’s changed). Look, I’m glad they’re not still at Facebook but this is hypocritical posturing. They’re not giving the money back. They’re crying all the way to the bank.
At the level of wealth this guy has, allocating 0.7% to something is a notable action. Once you're at the level he is at your capital allocation is not about accruing material goods. Material goods are just a rounding error, just buy a few houses and park a few mil in a fixed income fund and you are set for material wealth for life. That leaves you several hundred million to deploy for influence and power. The opportunity cost of moving $50M around is huge.
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
From the article (first paragraph, too): > Brian Acton, who left Facebook a year ago — before going on to publicly bite the hand that fed him, by voicing support for the #DeleteFacebook movement (and donating $50M to alternative encrypted messaging app, Signal) And: > And for leaving a cool ~$850M in unvested stock on the table by not sticking it out a few more months inside Zuckerberg’s mothership, as co-founder Jan…
Is it rational though 850 mil. could literally be used to save few thousands of lives if one was so inclined. While FB is evil by HN standards it's pretty meh on global scale of things.
I don't think that at this point we can consider Facebook anything but evil on a pretty global scale.
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#84“used him” i have little sympathy for such actors. i’ve known people who got rich on stock options in the ‘00s and then fled california while decrying the rat race. this is the same thing. if you really mean it, donate all the money to charity, an ed foundation, or some such. i’ll even forgive you for keeping 10mm for yourself. otherwise, cry me a river.
From the article (first paragraph, too): > Brian Acton, who left Facebook a year ago — before going on to publicly bite the hand that fed him, by voicing support for the #DeleteFacebook movement (and donating $50M to alternative encrypted messaging app, Signal) And: > And for leaving a cool ~$850M in unvested stock on the table by not sticking it out a few more months inside Zuckerberg’s mothership, as co-founder Jan…
Indeed, or at least certainly more worthy than a writer (clearly doesn't sound like a real journalist) that drops lines like "going on to publicly bite the hand that fed him"
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#85I have just deleted WhatsApp from my phone. I am not really sure though what to replace it with for the occasional foreign phone calls.
Telegram. It also has channels similar to facebook feeds/twitter without comments and/or retweets.
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#86> At a meeting over the issue he said Zuckerberg also told him: “This is probably the last time you’ll ever talk to me.”
I realize this was probably said in fruatration, but I think it paints a pretty clear picture of Zuckerberg's arrogance and entitlement.
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#87You must be either the most naieve person on the planet or a complete moron to sell your company to an advertising company and not expect them to put advertising in your product. Of course he wasn’t noble enough to turn down the money in the first place and turn his product into a big buisness by himself. WhatsApp was literally just a user grab based on a ToDo list app idea released at the right time. Guy should spen…
Consider that turning down the very very large offer would also have meant turning down the money for his hard working employees. Not such a simple choice.
But, as he openly acknowledges, he did sell out to a terrible company.
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#88How an individual can leave $850M on the table to prove a point blows my mind. I'm in awe at that guy, but I can't help but think that with $850M he could have funded so many interesting projects/research.
Now think of the day fb stock dropped 20% just over the course of few hours...
To be fair it had gone up by an irrational amount just prior to that...
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#89This article seems a little unfair to the WhatsApp founders when it suggests they should have known that any assurances Facebook made to them as part of the acquisition were obviously lies. Sure in 2018 it might be obvious to most of us that nothing Facebook says or promises can be trusted but I don't think that was necessarily as obvious when the acquisition happened and they can be forgiven for thinking they weren'…
Well, yes and no. Back the day, Facebook and Zuckerberg were the shining examples of successful Silicon Valley companies and founders with a good mission. That Zuckerberg, at the young age, managed to retain control of facebook all the way up to, and beyond, the ICO should have given them pause so. That hints a certain personality (no judgement intended in that assessment). But that is 20/20 hindsight which is always…
*IPO
Re: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why He Left $850M Behind
#90This article seems a little unfair to the WhatsApp founders when it suggests they should have known that any assurances Facebook made to them as part of the acquisition were obviously lies. Sure in 2018 it might be obvious to most of us that nothing Facebook says or promises can be trusted but I don't think that was necessarily as obvious when the acquisition happened and they can be forgiven for thinking they weren'…
What year would it be ok to be naive enough to think that any for profit company’s main motivation is not to make as much money possible?
According to this table: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefit_corporation#History I'd say around 2010.