Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Mobile
  4. Social Media
  5. Legacy Archives

Facebook recruits PayPal president David Marcus to lead mobile messaging efforts

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

After two years as president of PayPal, David Marcus is moving to Facebook to take up the role of vice president of messaging products.

In a post on LinkedIn published Monday, Marcus said he was “excited” about the move, adding that he was “looking forward to getting my hands dirty again attempting to build something new and meaningful at scale.”

Recommended Videos

He said that at first he’d had doubts about “another big company gig,” but had been impressed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “compelling vision about mobile messaging.”

Above: David Marcus [Image via Facebook]
Above: David Marcus [Image via Facebook] Image used with permission by copyright holder

He added, “Mark’s enthusiasm, and the unparalleled reach and consumer engagement of the Facebook platform ultimately won me over.”

The social networking giant said on its site that starting from July Marcus will lead efforts to develop “great new messaging experiences that better serve the Facebook community and reach even more people.” Given Marcus’s background, it’s also possible he could help introduce e-commerce features into Facebook’s mobile apps.

The company is keen to expand its mobile presence in a bid to boost revenue, with messaging apps a key part of its strategy. Its Q4 2013 financial results revealed that for the first time in its history, mobile ad revenue exceeded that of desktop, with 53 percent of the company’s income generated via its mobile apps in the three-month period.

Buoyed by the rising mobile revenue and keen to push out more mobile apps with more ads, the company in April announced it would be removing the ability to send messages from within its main application, forcing users to download its standalone Messenger app, which is currently used by more than 200 million people every month.

In a further indication of Facebook’s increasing focus on messaging, the company recently spent a whopping $19 billion on the acquisition of popular mobile messaging service WhatsApp, and is in the middle of trying to sort out the launch of its Snapchat-like app, Slingshot.

Marcus is likely to focus primarily on developing Messenger and new mobile messaging services, with the WhatsApp acquisition having been conditional on it being able to retain its independence and brand.

John Donahoe, CEO of eBay – PayPal’s parent company – will oversee the running of the online payment outfit until a successor is found.

Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Topics
Quick Share AirDrop compatibility could soon arrive on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8
The rollout is not official yet, but older Pixel users are beginning to see AirDrop-compatible Quick Share alerts
The back of the Google Pixel 7, held in a man's hand.

Google’s AirDrop-compatible Quick Share feature may finally be reaching some older Pixel devices that were left out of the initial rollout.

As spotted by Android Authority, Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 users have started receiving notifications saying they can now share files with Apple devices through AirDrop. Similar support has also been spotted on the Pixel Tablet, which has so far been absent from Google’s official compatibility list.

Read more
ESR unveils a new wireless charging pad with active cooling tech, two new cases, and a Corning glass screen protector
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

ESR rarely reinvents its category. It keeps sanding off the annoying parts. The company’s latest lineup, unveiled at IFA 2026, leans hard into that concept. 

In Berlin, the company revealed three new charging devices and three new protective accessories for smartphones. They’re headlined by a charger that actively cools itself while it charges your phone.

Read more
Motorola’s wide foldable just leaked, and it could fix the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s biggest problem
Here's your first real look at Motorola's next big foldable, sketches and all.
Electrical Device, Switch, Electronics

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the company’s first wide foldable, became a sleeper hit that no one saw coming. It was quite obvious Samsung made the wide fold in a preemptive attempt to compete with the upcoming iPhone Ultra, but it struck gold. The phone is selling so well now that the company is facing severe component shortages. 

It seems other companies have seen Fold 8’s success and are taking their own stab at making a wide foldable. According to a new report from Android Headlines, Motorola is working on a wide foldable phone, and we just got our first real look at it. An anonymous source shared exclusive sketches with the outlet, giving us a solid idea of the device's design before Motorola has said a word.

Read more