Zuckerberg’s Jealousy Held Back Instagram and Drove Off Founders

Over the past decade, Instagram has become an engine of commerce and cultural influence with few peers—aside from its parent company, Facebook Inc. Reporter Sarah Frier’s inside look at Instagram, based on interviews with hundreds of the companies’ leaders, current and former employees, competitors, and stars, traces the union of Facebook and Instagram and the disintegration of the relationship between their chief executive officers. Facebook said in a statement that it has committed significant resources to fuel Instagram’s development and that “Instagram’s success is Facebook’s success.”

The Instagram event didn’t feel very Facebook. On a San Francisco street dotted with homeless encampments, press and the quasi celebrities known as influencers entered a former music venue through an archway made of balloons. Attendees received raspberry-cream-filled cruffins—croissants shaped like muffins—along with espresso drinks and multiple kinds of green juice. Enclaves in the space were designed specifically for selfie-taking, to encourage the influencers to hype the coming product announcement to their digital followers.