Instagram co-founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, have announced their resignation from the company, which is owned by Facebook Inc, saying that they are leaving to ‘explore their curiosity and creativity again’. Systrom and Krieger did not say why they were leaving their positions as the chief executive officer and chief technical officer. According to reports, the men were apparently leaving the photo-sharing app because of growing tensions about the direction of the business since Facebook bought Instagram in 2012.
Zuckerberg issued a public statement about the departure saying he had “really enjoyed” working with Systrom and Krieger. “Kevin and Mike are extraordinary product leaders and Instagram reflects their combined creative talents,” wrote Zuckerberg. “I’ve learned a lot working with them for the past six years and have really enjoyed it. I wish them all the best and I’m looking forward to seeing what they build next.”
Instagram, which Facebook bought in 2012 for $1bn, has more than 1 billion active monthly users and has grown by adding features like messaging and short videos. The departure of Instagram co-founders comes months after the exit of Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp, which was bought by Facebook in 2014.
