Instagram's Big Picture

Instagram is emerging as facebook's growth engine, turning Mark Zuckerberg's purchase into one of the greatest tech deals of all time. But no tears for the photo-sharing App's Cofounder, Kevin Systorm. He's building an empire-and just made himself a Billionare.

- Kathleen Chaykowski

With 9.6 million Twitter followers, 79-year-old Pope Francis might be the most surprising breakout star of the social media age. Keen to reach a younger generation, the pontiff summoned a person with a platform that rivals even the Catholic Church when it comes to Millennial members: Kevin Systrom, CEO of the photo-sharing app Instagram, which has more than 500 million users, including 63% of U.S. Millennials. Ever the shrewd pitchman, Systrom, 32, brought a gift to their February meeting at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, something that was both thoughtful and promotional: a booklet of ten Instagram images—a peaceful protest, refugees, a lunar eclipse—touching on themes close to the pope’s heart. “He mentioned how when he talks to children they don’t necessarily speak his language, but they will show him pictures on their phones, and how that’s the most powerful way of communicating,” says Systrom, who readily admits he isn’t “as religious as a lot of people in the world.”

But the two found themselves singing from the same visual hymnbook. Three weeks later Systrom was again on a flight to Rome. “When I saw the pope the second time, he was like, ‘Keviiinnn!,’ as if we had gone to college together, like we played at the same golf club or something,” he says. As the 6-foot-5 Systrom, clad in an Italian suit, stood over him, the pope officially joined Instagram as @franciscus, posting an image of himself kneeling, with the caption “Pray for me” in nine languages. It’s been “liked” 327,000 times.