Billionaire WhatsApp founder Jan Koum might be good at developing and selling apps, but he's bad at handling break ups.
Bloomberg discovered that Koum was handed a restraining order in February 1996 in San Jose, California after he stalked, harassed, and threatened an ex-girlfriend for about seven months. The stalking began in July 1995 after the victim called it off with Koum, according to court records obtained by Gawker:
July 8, 1995, Jan Koum waiting for hours outside my house until I got home after being out with a friend. At one point my father told him to leave, but he still waited until 12:30 PM when I finally arrived home that evening. He then followed my friend and slamming into the back of his car.
The victim dealt with Koum preventing her from getting to class on time by standing in front of classroom doorways, following her while accompanied by his friends, and changing her school records after he obtained her Social Security Number. This led her to leave school for some time and change her phone number. She believes Koum found out this number, and frequently called her only to hang up.
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This led to Koum physically assaulting her:
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Koum told Bloomberg that he apologizes for his behavior. “I feel I was irrational and behaved badly after we broke up,” Koum said. “I am ashamed of the way I acted, and ashamed that my behavior forced her to take legal action. I am deeply sorry for what I did.”
Facebook says they believe the incidents are behind him. "Jan has written a thoughtful and honest response that we believe demonstrates the sincerity of his remorse over what happened nearly two decades ago," a Facebook spokesman said.
