Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Koum, 37, came to the U.S. from the Ukraine when he was 16 years
old. His family, struggling to make ends meet, lived on food
stamps that they picked up a couple blocks away from Koum's future
WhatsApp offices in Mountain View, Calif. In 2009, he and
cofounder Brian Acton launched the real-time messaging app with an
aim to connect people around the world. It essentially replaces text
messaging.
Now with 450 million global users, WhatsApp recently agreed to a $19
billion buyout from Facebook. Koum is expected to make the most
from the deal. Forbes estimateshe has a 45% stake in the company,
giving him a net worth of $6.8 billion. He's come a long way on his
modest means.
Winfrey was born into a poor family in Mississippi, but this didn't stop
her from winning a scholarship to Tennessee State University and
becoming the first African American TV correspondent in the state at
the age of 19.
Del Vecchio was one of five children who was eventually sent to an
orphanage because his widow mother couldn't care for him. He would
later work in a factory making molds of auto parts and eyeglass
frames.
At the age of 23, Del Vecchio opened his own molding shop, which
expanded to become the world's largest maker of sunglasses and
prescription eyeware with brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley.
Simmons got his first big break buying a chain of drugstores, which
would later sell for $50 million. He went on to become an expert in
corporate buyouts.