Meta Names Kunal Shah to Lead 3 Billion-User WhatsApp as It Expands Into Payments and AI
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 23
Meta Names Kunal Shah to Lead 3 Billion-User WhatsApp as It Expands Into Payments and AI
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 23
Summary
Kunal Shah will become the first Indian to run WhatsApp, taking charge of a platform with more than 3 billion users worldwide.
Meta elevated the Cred founder as WhatsApp pushes beyond messaging into payments, business services and AI products, with Mark Zuckerberg citing Shah's "builder mentality" and "global perspective."
The move follows Meta's $900 million investment in Cred, which values the fintech at about $4.5 billion and deepens Meta's ties to India's startup ecosystem and largest WhatsApp market.
Shah built FreeCharge before founding Cred in 2018, but his new role shifts him from serving financially active users to overseeing a mass-market service used across the world.
The appointment underscores Meta's bet that Shah's product and growth experience—not just his payments background—can help turn WhatsApp into a broader consumer business.