Difference between revisions of "Jan Koum"
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{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Jan Koum | | name = Jan Koum | ||
| + | | image = Jan Koum (Wikimedia Commons).jpg | ||
| + | | caption = Jan Koum | ||
| birth_date = {{Start date|1976|2|24}} (Forbes) | | birth_date = {{Start date|1976|2|24}} (Forbes) | ||
| birth_place = Ukraine (raised in Fastiv, near Kyiv) | | birth_place = Ukraine (raised in Fastiv, near Kyiv) | ||
Latest revision as of 17:18, 10 November 2026
Ukrainian-born American technology entrepreneur; co-founder of WhatsApp; philanthropist and political donor
| Jan Koum
| |
|---|---|
| Image | .jpg) Jan Koum |
| Born | 24 February 1976 (Forbes) Ukraine (raised in Fastiv, near Kyiv) |
| Nationality | American |
| Residence | Atherton, California (Forbes) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, investor |
| Known for | Co-founder of WhatsApp |
| Education | Attended San Jose State University (Forbes) |
Jan Koum (born 24 February 1976) is a Ukrainian-born American technology entrepreneur. He co-founded the messaging service WhatsApp in 2009 and sold it to Facebook in 2014 for US$22 billion in cash and stock.[1] He left WhatsApp and Facebook's board in 2018. He now invests through his firm Newlands, which Forbes says holds nearly 10 million shares in Meta.[1] On 10 November 2026 the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list ranked Jan Koum 147th in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$18.6 billion; Forbes lists the source of wealth as WhatsApp.[1][2] In the annual World's Billionaires list published in 2026, Forbes had ranked Jan Koum 166th, at US$17.1 billion.[3] Through the Koum Family Foundation, Koum has become one of the largest donors to Jewish and Israel-related causes. His gifts include US$200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem in 2026 and donations to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and to Friends of Ir David, the fundraising arm of the settler organisation Elad.[4][5][6] In US federal politics he has given millions of dollars to committees including the United Democracy Project and the Republican Jewish Coalition's RJC Victory Fund.[7]
Early life
Koum was born in Ukraine. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that he was raised in Fastiv, on the outskirts of Kyiv, while Globes gives his birthplace as Kyiv.[6][4] At 16 he emigrated to California with his mother and swept floors to make ends meet.[1] Globes reports that his father stayed in Ukraine, intending to join them, and died of cancer in 1997.[4] He attended San Jose State University but left without graduating.[1][6]
Career
Koum worked at Yahoo for nearly nine years before founding WhatsApp in 2009.[1] Globes reports that he chose not to carry advertising on WhatsApp because he grew up in Soviet Ukraine, a world without ads.[4] Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014 for US$22 billion in cash and stock. Koum signed the deal at a disused building where he had once collected food stamps as a teenager.[1][5] He resigned as chief executive in 2018 and said he would leave Facebook's board.[1] Globes reports that he left after a dispute over privacy.[4]
Wealth
Forbes lists his source of wealth as WhatsApp and classes him as self-made. He invests through Newlands, which also builds a portfolio of startups.[1] Forbes quotes his maxim: "I want to do one thing and do it well."[1]
Wealth history
Forbes has included this entry in its annual World's Billionaires list in 13 of the editions from 2001 to 2026 checked for this profile, starting with 2014. The table gives the rank and estimated net worth in each annual list, and, where applicable, the rank and estimate in the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans.[3][1]
| Year | World's Billionaires rank | Net worth (US$ bn) | Forbes 400 rank | Forbes 400 net worth (US$ bn) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 202 | 6.8 | 62 | 7.6 |
| 2015 | 208 | 6.6 | 60 | 7.7 |
| 2016 | 129 | 8.6 | 50 | 8.8 |
| 2017 | 140 | 9.0 | 48 | 9.6 |
| 2018 | 170 | 9.1 | 47 | 9.6 |
| 2019 | 143 | 9.6 | 47 | 10.1 |
| 2020 | 139 | 9.7 | 51 | 9.8 |
| 2021 | 230 | 9.9 | 65 | 10.9 |
| 2022 | 206 | 9.8 | 47 | 13.6 |
| 2023 | 130 | 13.7 | 44 | 15.1 |
| 2024 | 117 | 16.1 | 49 | 16.1 |
| 2025 | 128 | 16.5 | 57 | 17.4 |
| 2026 | 166 | 17.1 | 64 | 18.5 |
Philanthropy
Forbes reports that Koum has donated US$1.15 billion of Facebook stock to charitable entities, including his family foundation. In October 2014 he gave US$555 million of Facebook shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.[1] The Stanford Daily describes the Koum Family Foundation as a Palo Alto private foundation with US$3.3 billion in assets. Its president is Yana Kalika, whom Globes describes as a relative of Koum.[8][4] Scale and secrecy. JTA's review of tax returns found that the foundation gave nearly US$140 million to about 70 Jewish charities in the US, Eastern Europe and Israel in 2019–2020. It found that Chabad-affiliated groups received more than any other cause, and that several grantees said they were barred from acknowledging his gifts.[6] Jewish Insider reported that the foundation gave more than US$19 million to Jewish and Israel-related causes in 2018.[5] Universities. The foundation has given about US$77 million to Stanford University since 2017, mainly to its medical centre.[8] In the 2025–26 academic year a major gift from the foundation endowed the Jan Koum Israel Studies Program at Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute. Koum said the programme would help "strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance", while critics called for more attention to Palestinian perspectives.[8] It also gave US$1 million to Fordham University in 2020.[6] Health. In May 2026 Koum gave US$200 million for a new tower at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, which was renamed the Koum Shaare Zedek Medical Center. His foundation had earlier given the hospital US$15 million for a paediatrics building and a further US$10 million.[4] JTA describes him as a major supporter of the Israeli healthcare system, including Hadassah.[6]
Political activity
Koum rarely speaks in public. JTA noted that he had said nothing publicly about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[6] Federal records for 2021–2026 show large contributions under his name (state CA), summarised below. They include gifts to the United Democracy Project, the Republican Jewish Coalition's RJC Victory Fund, the SFA Fund and Maryland's Future.[7] Globes reports that he has also given to AIPAC.[4]
Across the 28 non-memo records retrieved for the 2022–2026 cycles, the filtered total is US$23,358,938 (a lower bound). The largest recipient committees, as named in the filings, were SFA FUND, INC (US$10,000,000), UNITED DEMOCRACY PROJECT ('UDP') (US$5,000,000), RJC VICTORY FUND (US$3,782,880), UNITED DEMOCRACY PROJECT (UDP) (US$2,000,000), MARYLAND'S FUTURE (US$1,005,896).[7]
| Cycle | Total (US$, lower bound) | Records | Largest recipient committees (as filed with the FEC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $3,355,800 | 5 | UNITED DEMOCRACY PROJECT (UDP) ($2,000,000); RJC VICTORY FUND ($1,350,000); DERRICK ANDERSON FOR VA, INC. ($5,800) |
| 2024 | $19,724,379 | 12 | SFA FUND, INC ($10,000,000); UNITED DEMOCRACY PROJECT ('UDP') ($5,000,000); RJC VICTORY FUND ($2,432,880); MARYLAND'S FUTURE ($1,005,896) |
| 2026 | $278,759 | 11 | GROW THE MAJORITY ($151,459); NRSC ($44,300); CORNYN LONESTAR VICTORY FUND ($12,000); SUSAN COLLINS FOR MAINE ($12,000) |
International and political links
This section uses the same ten headings for every profile in this series. Only specific, sourced actions are included; company-level and foundation-level actions are labelled as such. Where nothing was found, the entry reads "No documented involvement found in sources checked."
Israel (investments, operations, donations, contracts, statements)
In 2026 Koum gave US$200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, and he has funded a nanotechnology building at Tel Aviv University.[4] The Koum Family Foundation has given US$5.3 million in a single year to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, which supports serving and former Israeli soldiers. It has also funded the Birthright Israel Foundation, the Israel Healthcare Foundation and Israel and Co. (now iTrek).[5][8] It also endowed the Jan Koum Israel Studies Program at Stanford.[8]
Zionist or pro-Israel organisations and lobbying groups
According to The Stanford Daily, the foundation has given US$15 million since 2017 to Friends of Ir David, the US fundraising arm of Elad, an Israeli settlement group active in occupied East Jerusalem that has faced accusations of displacing Palestinian families.[8] JTA reported US$600,000 to the Maccabee Task Force Foundation, founded by Sheldon Adelson for campus advocacy for Israel.[6] The Stanford Daily also reported more than US$2.5 million to the Central Fund of Israel, a fiscal sponsor of Honenu, which the paper says supports people charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians.[8] JTA wrote that some of his donations "reflect his right-wing political views on Israel".[6] Globes reports donations to AIPAC.[4] In US federal politics he has given millions of dollars to the United Democracy Project super PAC.[7]
Jewish communal charities
JTA reports gifts of about US$17 million to the European Jewish Association and US$10.6 million to the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS in 2019–2020. It also reports gifts to Chabad-affiliated groups, the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto and a US$3.5 million centre for San Francisco's Russian-speaking Jewish community.[6] Other grantees named by Jewish Insider include the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, BBYO and the Bnai Zion Foundation.[5]
Gulf states
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
China
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Russia
JTA reports that the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, a major grantee, lists Berel Lazar, who leads Russia's Jewish community, as a director. It also reports gifts to a US nonprofit called the Jewish Community Center of Moscow, which is based in Brooklyn.[6]
India
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Palestinian or Arab causes
No funding for Palestinian causes was found in the sources opened. The Stanford Daily reports criticism that the Stanford Israel Studies Program gives too little attention to Palestinian perspectives, and accusations that Elad has displaced Palestinian families in East Jerusalem.[8]
Home government
His federal political donations are summarised in the FEC table.[7]
Other international links
Ukraine: JTA reported that groups he funds, including the European Jewish Association and the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, ran relief efforts for refugees and patients during the 2022 war.[6]
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Forbes, Forbes profile record for Jan Koum (Forbes data feed behind forbes.com/profile/jan-koum/) Forbes, live record, read 10 November 2026, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ Forbes, Forbes Real-Time Billionaires data feed Forbes, live; downloaded 10 November 2026 13:47 UTC, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Forbes, Forbes World's Billionaires list data feed, annual editions 2001–2026 (one file per year at this path with the year substituted; all 26 files downloaded and read) Forbes, annual lists; downloaded 20 October 2026, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Gali Weinreb, WhatsApp founder Jan Koum donates $200m to Shaare Zedek Globes, 10 May 2026, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Melissa Weiss, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum increases giving to Jewish and Israel groups Jewish Insider, 30 April 2020, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 Asaf Elia-Shalev, WhatsApp’s reclusive founder has quietly become a megadonor to Jewish causes Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 15 June 2022, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 U.S. Federal Election Commission, OpenFEC Schedule A (itemised individual contributions) query, contributor name "KOUM, JAN"; 2026 cycle shown in link, the 2022, 2024 and 2026 cycles were queried together with the same parameters; top 100 records by amount; records filtered by employer/occupation and name, memo entries excluded U.S. Federal Election Commission, data as filed; queried 10 November 2026, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Naomi Breuer and Ashton Dolce, Israel Studies Program sparks hope and criticism The Stanford Daily, 27 February 2026, accessed 10 November 2026.