Meta appoints Kunal Shah as new WhatsApp boss as part of ₹8,550 crore investment in Cred

Meta Platforms Inc. has appointed Cred founder Kunal Shah to lead WhatsApp as part of its ₹8,550 crore ($900 million) investment in the Indian fintech startup, according to an official announcement.

The investment gives Meta an approximately 20% stake in Cred, which operates an app that is known for rewarding users who pay their credit card bills on time. The deal values the company at roughly ₹42,600 crore ($4.5 billion) on a post-money basis, the press release stated.

Shah will replace the current boss of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, who has been running the popular messaging service for roughly seven years.

“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,” Shah said, in response to the announcement of his appointment.

Cathcart, who oversaw a period in which WhatsApp’s user base more than doubled in size, will remain at Meta and transition to a new role focused on developing consumer apps and products powered by artificial intelligence, according to Bloomberg News.

The company has not disclosed details of his upcoming project. Bloomberg News reached out to a Meta spokesperson but they declined to comment further on Cathcart's next assignment.

WhatsApp is one of the world's largest messaging platforms and crossed 3 billion monthly users in 2025. While its user base has grown rapidly, Meta is still expanding newer businesses on the platform, including advertising and subscriptions, the news agency reported.

Building out those revenue streams, along with integrating AI agents into WhatsApp, will now fall to Shah, the 47-year-old founder of Cred. Shah was recruited by Meta’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, who was looking for an entrepreneur from a country where WhatsApp already enjoys deep user adoption. India is one of WhatsApp's largest market, with millions of users.

Cox called Shah “one of India's most respected entrepreneurs and a prolific voice for how the apps we build make a positive difference in people's lives,” according to a press release. Shah currently lives in Bangalore, but will relocate to the Bay Area to work out of Meta’s Menlo Park, California headquarters, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg News.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, also commented on the development, saying: "Kunal Shah will join Meta as WhatsApp's next leader. Kunal built CRED into one of India's most important technology companies, and he brings the kind of builder mentality and global perspective that will serve him well in running the world's biggest messaging app. I look forward to working with Kunal to continue to make WhatsApp the best service for billions of people and millions of businesses."

Meta has employed this investment-recruitment strategy to bring top entrepreneurs into the company.

Last year, the company invested over $14 billion into Scale AI and recruited its founder, Alexandr Wang, to take over Meta’s newly created AI lab.

Eshita Gain is a digital journalist at Mint, where she joined in May 2025. She writes on corporate developments, personal finance, markets, and business trends, with a focus on delivering timely and relevant stories to a broad audience. <br><br> While her core beat lies in business and finance, she is not confined to a single niche and frequently explores stories across domains, including international relations and policy developments. <br><br> She holds a postgraduate diploma in business and financial journalism by Bloomberg from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. During her time there, she received rigorous training in tracking financial data, interpreting corporate filings, and reporting on business developments. She has pursued her graduation from St. Joseph’s University, Bengaluru in a multi-disciplinary course. Her majors included Journalism, International Relations, peace and conflict studies. <br><br> Eshita has previously worked in digital marketing, which enables her to write SEO friendly copies that are clear and engaging. <br><br> Her primary interest lies in breaking down complex subjects and writing clear, accessible copies that inform readers. She aims to bridge the gap between technical financial language and everyday understanding. Outside the newsroom, Eshita enjoys reading non-fiction, and exploring new places, constantly seeking fresh perspectives and stories beyond headlines.

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