The world’s largest messaging app, with over 3.3 billion monthly active users, has a new head following Will Cathcart’s stepping down after a seven-year run.
On Monday, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced a management change: India’s Kunal Shah is set to become the new head of the messaging platform. Kunal Shah is an entrepreneur who founded Cred, an app that lets users manage their bills and earn rewards for paying through the platform.
According to Bloomberg, part of Shah’s arrangement with Meta is that they invest $900 million in Cred and receive a 20% stake in the startup. In return, Shah will assume leadership of WhatsApp, bringing fresh ideas to the messaging platform.
Kunal Shah becomes yet another indian immigrant to head a global startup. Here are 4 key things to know about him.
He is an Art Student
Kunal Shah studied philosophy at Wilson College in Mumbai, India. He later tried his hand at a part-time MBA programme at the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) but dropped out. He has no technology background, and WhatsApp will be the fourth business he is engaging in.
Shah founded a cashback promotions company, PaisaBack, in 2009. This was his first venture. He later co-founded FreeCharge with Sandeep Tandon in 2010. FreeCharge was acquired in a 2015 deal for roughly $450 million. Cred is his latest startup, for which Meta now owns a 20% stake.
India’s Biggest Angel Investor
After making a windfall from selling FreeCharge, Shah became one of India’s most active angel investors, taking a bet in over 54 startups in 2022. Companies he invested in include Kredmint, Growth School, Allo Health, PickYourTrail, and Gold Setu, among others.
He also backed a couple of overseas startups like Lista in the Philippines and Jovian in the US. In 2021, he invested in over 108 deals, topping the list for that year.
He Believes in Practical Knowledge, Not Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
Shah is a student of practice and solving problems. He doesn’t believe a high IQ increases the odds of being a successful entrepreneur. He believes that those who are not good at solving a wide range of problems don’t succeed as entrepreneurs.
Last year, he said many high-IQ people are not good at solving a wide range of problems. Shah added that people skills are a major determinant in how successful one will become as an entrepreneur. He believes many problems in building a company stem from dealing with people.
Global Recognition
Shah was featured in Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 list in 2016. In 2016, The Economic Times named him “Comeback Kid of the Year” at its Startup Awards.
He joins the long list of Indian immigrants making serious waves in the global technology industry.
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ExploreLast updated: June 23, 2026
