Ajibola Oyelade

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Some personal news. After nearly 7 years leading WhatsApp, I'm excited to share who will take over the responsibility of delivering simple, reliable, and private messaging for the world. WhatsApp is in the strongest position it's ever been — and that felt like the right moment to step back.

I'm so proud of what we have built. We scaled end-to-end encrypted messaging to more than three billion people. We brought it to group chats, companion devices, new surfaces — and defended people's right to a private conversation across the globe.

Kunal Shah will be WhatsApp's next leader. He built CRED into one of India's most important technology companies and has a deep care for the people that rely on our apps. I’m very excited to see what Kunal and our amazing team continue to build.

Thank you for the privilege of serving people who rely on WhatsApp everywhere. 🙏

[Kunal Shah @kunalb11]

It’s been a minute.

2015–2018
- Exited FreeCharge. Spent time learning and investing.
- Pondered about: Why can't trust be rewarded? Started with $1M of personal capital.
- Launched CRED to reward people for paying credit card bills on time.

2019–2025
- Built a system run by a team that values ownership, judgment, and craft.
- Grew from 0 to 17M members by aligning incentives with behaviour.
- Built several products during COVID lockdowns.
- Raised $900M+ from global investors. Did 4 ESOP buybacks.
- Made Indiranagar and IPL ads slightly more interesting.
- Received a full stack of regulatory licences.
- Lost 35 kilos.
- Scaled from 0 to ~$325M ( ~₹3,200 crore) in annual revenue across payments, lending, insurance, commerce, wealth, and credit cards.
2026
- First profitable quarter (yet occasionally asked what our business model is)
- Raised another $900M from Meta in primary and secondary capital.
- Announcing our 5th ESOP buyback.

Today

CRED is ready for its next phase. I am stepping back and @miten steps in as interim CEO, partnered with an incredibly talented team. He has been heading strategy and finance and suffering me since 2020. I’m stepping away from the operating role and will continue as a shareholder. My commitment doesn’t change. Just the role.

Extremely grateful to our members, partners, regulators, and investors who made this possible. And to our board, Shailendra, Micky, Saurabh for their extraordinary conviction.

Team CRED, I’ll still expect you to be a 10x version of yourselves.

As for me, I’ll be joining Meta to lead WhatsApp globally.

Meta comes in as a minority investor in CRED. No access to member data.

While it’s come very far, the delta between WhatsApp today and its full potential is massive. I look forward to working with Mark, Chris, and the leadership across Meta for the next step in WhatsApp’s journey. Will, thank you for scaling something the world relies on quietly, and for making this transition smooth.

Onwards.

[Rishi Sunak @RishiSunak]

Political capital now depreciates faster than ever.

Across Europe, leaders are facing the same pressures, from weak growth to rising defence spending and a state that too often cannot deliver.

These are arduous times for incumbents. Anyone who wants to govern should understand why.

https://t.co/trddo56qob

[ESPN FC @ESPNFC]

Japan left their Monterrey locker room impeccable and included a thank-you message for their Mexican hosts 🇯🇵🇲🇽

(📸 @SancadillaNorte)

[Paul Graham @paulg]

This is the best explanation I've seen of how mechanical watches work. https://t.co/h3uHfxpBX7

[Bloomberg @business]

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva tells @flacqua about her favourite quality in a leader.

Listen at https://t.co/YMUDf8zCfy and watch at https://t.co/zBNwXceZnb

[NBA @NBA]

JALEN BRUNSON DROPS 45 POINTS TO LEAD THE KNICKS TO THEIR FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP IN 53 YEARS 🔥

THE NBA FINALS MVP @jalenbrunson1 CLOSES OUT THE SERIES WITH A MASSIVE PERFORMANCE.

[SportsCenter @SportsCenter]

Jalen Brunson. NBA Champion. Finals MVP.

Hard work pays off 🏆

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

What happened when 40 leading minds huddled to envision U.S. society in 2030 and how artificial intelligence will shake up the economy and jobs. https://t.co/2Dwm50LkBQ

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Gilded Age financiers designed the very mechanism that would turn John D. Rockefeller Sr. into the world’s first billionaire—and enable Elon Musk to be the first trillionaire. 🔗 https://t.co/sXTqJH38sh

[Library of Congress @librarycongress]

The Committee of Five—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—was appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago today.

Jefferson's draft of the document is here at the Library, and will be featured in a new exhibition opening July 3.

[Dr Joe Abah, OON @DrJoeAbah]

Gentlemen, when someone misbehaves, do not react so angrily that your response overshadows the initial misbehaviour and now becomes the issue.

Don’t end up being the one needing to apologise when you were initially the victim of bad behaviour.

Be clear that you will not accept or tolerate the misbehaviour, but be measured in how you express your disapproval. This is especially important when you are in a position of authority over the other person. It is also especially important in your relationship with your woman.

I am Ezemmuo. I know things.

[Sundar Pichai @sundarpichai]

America’s digital economy relies on our physical infrastructure and the electricians, pipefitters, welders, manufacturing workers & more who build and maintain it.

Today, we’re making an additional @googleorg commitment to help 300K American workers prepare for these in-demand skilled trades careers, expanding on the $1B we’ve already provided for digital skills and training globally.

[CodePath @codepath]

Today, we’re launching Claude Corps with @AnthropicAI, a national fellowship program that matches early-career talent with US nonprofits. We'll teach 1,000 people and pay them for a year to help hosts advance their missions.

Read more: https://t.co/7YmgscQfRE

[Anthropic @AnthropicAI]

We’re launching Claude Corps, a national fellowship program matching people early in their careers with US nonprofits.

We'll teach 1,000 people to use Claude, and pay them to use AI to advance their hosts’ missions.

https://t.co/QI6JmlAdSr

[Dylan O'Sullivan @DylanoA4]

Carl Jung on avoidance...

[Ajibola Oyelade @ajioye]

@femu @Ssaasquatch 😂

[Ajibola Oyelade @ajioye]

@Mr_Elegushi Congratulations 🎉

[Forbes @Forbes]

David Beckham is a billionaire, worth $1 billion by our count—one of just seven living pro athletes (Jordan, Magic, Tiger, LeBron, Federer and retired Romanian tennis ace Ion Tiriac) to manage the feat.

Read more about how Beckham became a billionaire: https://t.co/HtJRdNFPwp

[Bloomberg @business]

Advances in the treatment of cancer, obesity and diabetes are being presented at scientific meetings dedicated to the largest and fastest-growing markets in medicine. https://t.co/NK6ojXVrPu