CEO KUNAL SHAH

LATEST 

WhatsApp CEO, June 22, 2026

NEW role: Meta appointed Kunal Shah as global head/CEO of WhatsApp, replacing Will Cathcart who led WhatsApp for 7 years

The DEAL: Meta is investing ∼$900M (₹8,550 crore) in CRED for a ∼20% minority stake, valuing CRED at ∼$4.5B post-money

TRANSITION: Shah steps down as CRED’s operating CEO but keeps his personal shareholding. Miten Sampat becomes interim CEO of CRED

Why Meta picked him: Mark Zuckerberg said Shah brings “builder mentality and global perspective” to run the world’s biggest messaging app. Chris Cox said they wanted a leader with “intuitive grasp of WhatsApp’s global product potential” and who can “navigate shifts that AI will bring”

First day: June 22, 2026. Shah said “the delta between WhatsApp today and its full potential is massive” . 

BACKGROUND

Age/Education: Born 30 May 1979. Studied philosophy at Wilson College, Mumbai. Started working as a teen - delivery boy, data entry - to support family

FreeCharge: Co-founded in 2010. Sold to Snapdeal in 2015 for ~₹2,800 crore / $400-450M

CRED: Founded in 2018 with $1M personal capital to “reward trust”. Grew to 17M members. FY25 revenue ₹2,735 crore with products across payments, lending, insurance, commerce, wealth, credit cards. Hit first profitable quarter in 2026

Angel investor: One of India’s most active angels. By 2021 had made 200+ investments including Razorpay, BharatPe.