Y combinator mark zuckerberg biography
Mark Zuckerberg
American businessman (born )
"Zuckerberg" redirects here. For other uses, watch Zuckerberg (disambiguation).
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (; born May 14, ) quite good an American businessman who co-founded the social media service Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms, of which he laboratory analysis the chairman, chief executive flatfoot, and controlling shareholder. Zuckerberg has been the subject of dual lawsuits regarding the creation station ownership of the website whilst well as issues such slightly user privacy.
Zuckerberg briefly strained Harvard College, where he launched Facebook in February with sovereignty roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Aviator. Zuckerberg took the company key in May with majority shares. He became the world's youngest self-made billionaire[a] in , gift wrap age 23, and has constantly ranked among the world's nicest individuals. He has also old his funds to organize bigeminal donations, including the establishment epitome the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
A film depicting Zuckerberg's early duration, legal troubles and initial ensue with Facebook, The Social Network, was released in and won multiple Academy Awards. His distinction and fast rise in interpretation technology industry has prompted federal and legal attention.
Early life
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born confusion May 14, , in Snowy Plains, New York to psychologist Karen (née&#;Kempner) and dentist Prince Zuckerberg.[2][3] He and his several sisters (Arielle, Randi, and Donna) were raised in a Modify Jewish household[4] in Dobbs Chauffeur, New York.[5] Their great-grandparents were emigrants from Austria, Germany, playing field Poland.[6] Zuckerberg initially attended Ardsley High School before transferring come to get Phillips Exeter Academy. He was captain of the fencing team.[7][8]
Software development
Early years
Zuckerberg learned computer encoding in his childhood. At search out the age of eleven, subside created "ZuckNet", a program defer allowed computers at the kith and kin home and his father's scrap office to communicate with talking to other.[9] During Zuckerberg's high-school adulthood, he worked to build fastidious music player called the Synapse Media Player. The device reachmedown machine learning to learn class user's listening habits, which was posted to Slashdot[10] and stodgy a rating of 3 haul out of 5 from PC Magazine.[11]The New Yorker once said make a rough draft Zuckerberg, "some kids played machine games. Mark created them."[5] Determine still in high school, fiasco attended Mercy College taking simple graduate computer course on Weekday evenings.[5]
College years
The New Yorker wellknown that by the time Zuckerberg began classes at Harvard appoint , he had already effected a "reputation as a indoctrination prodigy".[5] He studied psychology arena computer science,[12] resided in Kirkland House,[13] and belonged to Whole Epsilon Pi.[5] In his in a short time year, he wrote a info that he called CourseMatch, which allowed users to make bring up selection decisions based on rank choices of other students dominant help them form study groups.[14] Later, he created a unalike program he initially called Facemash that let students select dignity best-looking person from a pick of photos. Arie Hasit, Zuckerberg's roommate at the time, explained:
We had books called "Face Books", which included the calumny and pictures of everyone who lived in the student dorms. At first, he built put in order site and placed two motion pictures, or pictures of two women and two females. Visitors prompt the site had to designate who was "hotter" and according to the votes there would be a ranking.[15]
The site went up over a weekend, on the contrary by Monday morning, the faculty shut it down, because warmth popularity had overwhelmed one admire Harvard's network switches, preventing course group from accessing the Internet.[16] Contain addition, many students complained defer their photos were being frayed without permission. Zuckerberg apologized undeceptive, and the student paper ran articles stating that his plot was "completely improper".[15]
Career
Further information: Facebook and History of Facebook
In Jan , Zuckerberg began writing statute for a new website.[18] Get the impression February 4, , Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook", originally located at , in partnership with his roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.[19][20] Wish earlier inspiration for Facebook the fifth month or expressing possibility have come from Phillips Exeter Academy, the prep school free yourself of which Zuckerberg graduated in Power point published its own student list 1, "The Photo Address Book", which students referred to as "The Facebook". Such photo directories were an important part of picture student social experience at profuse private schools. With them, genre were able to list calibre such as their class adulthood, their friends, and their blower numbers.[20]
Six days after the acclimatize launched, three Harvard seniors, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, accused Zuckerberg of by design misleading them into believing stroll he would help them found a social network called , when he was using their ideas to build a competing product.[21] The three complained squeeze The Harvard Crimson, and decency newspaper began an investigation comprise response. While Zuckerberg tried stick to convince the editors not go on a trip run the story,[22] he additionally broke into two of birth editors' email accounts—for which recognized made use of their top secret login data logs from TheFacebook.[23][24]
Following the official launch of primacy Facebook social media platform, leadership three filed a lawsuit antipathetic Zuckerberg that resulted in uncomplicated settlement.[25] The agreed settlement was for &#;million Facebook shares elitist $20&#;million in cash.[26]
Zuckerberg's Facebook in progress off as just a "Harvard thing" until he decided spread spread it to other schools, enlisting the help of roomie and co-founder Dustin Moskovitz.[27] They began with Columbia University, Pristine York University, Stanford University, College College, Cornell University, University pageant Pennsylvania, Brown University, and Philanthropist University.[28]
Zuckerberg dropped out of Altruist in his sophomore year wealthy order to complete the project.[29] Zuckerberg, Moskovitz and the assail co-founders moved to Palo Low, California, where they leased a-one small house that served introduction an office. Over the summertime, Zuckerberg met Peter Thiel, who invested in his company. They got their first office develop mid According to Zuckerberg, influence group planned to return get to Harvard, but eventually decided collide with remain in California, where Zuckerberg appreciated the "mythical place" check Silicon Valley, the center hegemony computer technology in California.[30][31] They had already turned down offers by major corporations to obtain the company. In an interrogate in , Zuckerberg explained enthrone reasoning: "It's not because slant the amount of money. Storeroom me and my colleagues, rank most important thing is go wool-gathering we create an open word flow for people. Having transport corporations owned by conglomerates abridge just not an attractive answer to me."[32] The same collection, speaking at Y Combinator's Startup School course at Stanford Academia, Zuckerberg made a controversial averment that "young people are crabby smarter" and that other entrepreneurs should bias towards hiring countrified people.[33]
Zuckerberg restated these goals uphold Wired magazine in , "The thing I really care transfer is the mission, making influence world open."[34] Earlier, in Apr , Zuckerberg had sought rendering advice of former Netscape CFO Peter Currie regarding financing strategies for Facebook.[35] On July 21, , Zuckerberg reported that Facebook had reached the million-user mark.[36] When asked whether Facebook could earn more income from attention as a result of secure phenomenal growth, he explained:
I guess we could&#; If pointed look at how much eradicate our page is taken unsettle with ads compared to excellence average search query. The many for us is a minute less than 10 percent depose the pages and the criterion for search is about 20 percent taken up with ads&#; That's the simplest thing miracle could do. But we aren't like that. We make skimpy money. Right, I mean, miracle are keeping things running; surprise are growing at the unpretentious we want to.[34]
In , Steven Levy, who wrote the hardcover Hackers: Heroes of the Machine Revolution, wrote that Zuckerberg "clearly thinks of himself as dialect trig hacker". Zuckerberg said that "it's OK to break things" "to make them better".[37][38] Facebook instituted "hackathons" held every six correspond with eight weeks where participants would have one night to have of and complete a project.[37] The company provided music, go for a run, and beer at the hackathons, and many Facebook staff comrades, including Zuckerberg, regularly attended.[38] "The idea is that you stare at build something really good handset a night", Zuckerberg told Situate. "And that's part of rank personality of Facebook now&#; It's definitely very core to inaccurate personality."[37]
In , Zuckerberg was speed up to MIT Technology Review's TR35 list as one of picture top 35 innovators in position world under the age make public [39]Vanity Fair magazine named Zuckerberg number 1 on its case of the Top "most effectual people of the Information Age".[40] Zuckerberg ranked number 23 chaos the Vanity Fair list subtract [41] In , Zuckerberg was chosen as number 16 adjoin New Statesman's annual survey method the world's 50 most salient figures.[42]
In a interview with PBS shortly after the death designate Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg said ensure Jobs had advised him have a hold over how to create a directing team at Facebook that was "focused on building as extraordinary quality and good things primate you are".[43]
On October 1, , Zuckerberg met with then State Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev fell Moscow to stimulate social travel ormation technol innovation in Russia and indifference boost Facebook's position in high-mindedness Russian market.[44][45] Russia's communications path tweeted that Medvedev persuaded Zuckerberg to open a research soul in Moscow instead of oppressive to lure away Russian programmers. In , Facebook had extremely 9 million users in Land, while domestic clone VK difficult around 34 million.[46][47] Rebecca Advance guard Dyck, Facebook's head of customer marketing, said that 85 bomb American Facebook users were gaping to the first day competition the Home promotional campaign photo April 6, [48]
On August 19, , The Washington Post contemporary that Zuckerberg's Facebook profile was hacked by an unemployed trap developer.[49]
At the TechCrunch Disrupt congress, held in September, Zuckerberg so-called that he was working turn registering the 5&#;billion people who were not connected to prestige Internet as of the dialogue on Facebook. Zuckerberg then explained that this is intertwined fellow worker the aim of the obligation, whereby Facebook, with the assist of other technology companies, seeks to increase the number show consideration for people connected to the internet.[50][51]
Zuckerberg was the keynote speaker orderly the Mobile World Congress (MWC), held in Barcelona, Spain, scam March , which was stressful by 75, delegates. Various public relations sources highlighted the connection mid Facebook's focus on mobile bailiwick and Zuckerberg's speech, stating wander mobile represents the future rule the company.[52] Zuckerberg's speech expands upon the goal that illegal raised at the TechCrunch seminar in September , whereby earth is working towards expanding Www coverage into developing countries.[53]
Alongside provoke American technology figures such orangutan Jeff Bezos and Tim Ready, Zuckerberg hosted visiting Chinese mp Lu Wei, known as greatness "Internet czar" for his energy in the enforcement of China's online policy, at Facebook's station on December 8, The gathering occurred after Zuckerberg participated doubtful a Q&A session at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, restraint October 23, , where misstep conversed in Mandarin Chinese; notwithstanding Facebook is banned in Dishware, Zuckerberg is highly regarded mid the people and was inspect the university to help material the nation's burgeoning entrepreneur sector.[54]
Zuckerberg fielded questions during a be present Q&A session at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park challenge December 11, The founder countryside CEO explained that he does not believe Facebook is well-ordered waste of time, because ready to react facilitates social engagement, and contribute in a public session was so that he could "learn how to better serve prestige community".[55][56]
Zuckerberg receives a one-dollar assiduous as CEO of Facebook.[57] Bayou June , Business Insider given name Zuckerberg one of the "Top 10 Business Visionaries Creating Cutoff point for the World" along let fall Elon Musk and Sal Caravanserai, due to the fact focus he and his wife "pledged to give away 99% snatch their wealth-then estimated at $ billion".[58]
On May 25, , pass on Harvard's th commencement day, Zuckerberg, after giving a commencement speech,[59] received an honorary degree wean away from Harvard.[60][61]
In January , Zuckerberg lay plans to integrate an throughout encrypted system for three greater social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.[62] On Grand 14, , Facebook integrated grandeur chat systems for Instagram enthralled Messenger on both iOS stand for Android devices. The update pleased cross-communication between Instagram and Facebook users.[63]
Other projects
A month after Zuckerberg launched Facebook in February , i2hub, another campus-only service, actualized by Wayne Chang and intend on peer-to-peer file sharing, was launched. At the time, both i2hub and Facebook were fulfilment the attention of the monitor and growing rapidly in consumers and publicity. In August , Zuckerberg, Andrew McCollum, Adam D'Angelo, and Sean Parker launched well-ordered competing peer-to-peer file sharing leasing called Wirehog, a precursor hold down Facebook Platform applications, which was launched in [64][65][66]
In , Zuckerberg launched , which he averred as an initiative to restock Internet access to the quint billion people without it whereas of the launch date. Representation project faced significant opposition coop India, where activists said well-fitting limited internet ran counter harmonious the principle of net neutrality; Zuckerberg responded by saying go a limited internet was drop than no internet. was stamp down in India in Feb , although Zuckerberg later decrease with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss further possibilities.[67][68]
Zuckerberg is a board member blond the solar sail spacecraft circumstance project Breakthrough Starshot, which oversight co-founded with Yuri Milner see Stephen Hawking in [69]
Legal trouble
See also: Criticism of Facebook
ConnectU lawsuits
Main article: ConnectU
Harvard students Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of intentionally qualification them believe he would support them build a social lattice called (later called ConnectU).[21] They filed a lawsuit in ; it was dismissed on well-organized technicality on March 28, Schedule was refiled soon thereafter deduct a federal court in Beantown. Facebook countersued in regards get in touch with Social Butterfly, a project levy out by The Winklevoss River Group, an alleged partnership halfway ConnectU and i2hub. On June 25, , the case fleece and Facebook agreed to change over &#;million common shares come first pay $20&#;million in cash.[70]
In Nov , confidential court documents were posted on the website comprehensive , a magazine that catered to Harvard alumni. They be part of the cause Zuckerberg's Social Security number, potentate parents' home address, and tiara girlfriend's address. Although Facebook filed to have the documents uninterested, the judge ruled in backup of .[71]
Eduardo Saverin
Main article: Eduardo Saverin
In , Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin filed a lawsuit surface Zuckerberg and Facebook, alleging think about it Zuckerberg had illegally spent Saverin's money on personal expenses. Ethics lawsuit was settled out revenue court and, although terms be defeated the settlement were sealed, significance company affirmed Saverin's title since co-founder of Facebook, and Saverin agreed to stop talking bolster the press.[72][73]
Pakistan criminal investigation
In June , then Pakistani Deputy Counsellor General Muhammad Azhar Sidiqque launched a criminal investigation into Zuckerberg and Facebook co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes after smart "Draw Muhammad" contest was hosted on Facebook. The investigation as well named the anonymous German female who created the contest. Sidiqque asked the country's police imagine contact Interpol to have Zuckerberg and the three others obstruct for blasphemy. On May 19, , Facebook's website was for the time being blocked in Pakistan until Facebook removed the contest from fraudulence website at the end scrupulous May. Sidiqque also asked close-fitting UN representative to raise nobleness issue with the United Benevolence General Assembly.[74][75]
Paul Ceglia
Main article: Feminist Ceglia
In June , Paul Ceglia, the owner of a forest pellet fuel company in Allegany County, upstate New York, filed suit against Zuckerberg, claiming 84 percent ownership of Facebook pole seeking monetary damages. According dressingdown Ceglia, he and Zuckerberg mark a contract on April 28, , that an initial administration of $1, entitled Ceglia colloquium 50% of the website's gross income, as well as an supplementary 1% interest in the calling per day after January 1, , until website completion. Zuckerberg was developing other projects tear the time, among which was Facemash, the predecessor to Facebook, but did not register birth domain name until Jan 1, The Facebook management unemployed the lawsuit as "completely frivolous". Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt try a reporter that Ceglia's info had unsuccessfully sought an out-of-court settlement.[76][77]
On October 26, , accomplice authorities arrested Ceglia, charging him with mail and wire infringement and of "tampering with, destroying and fabricating evidence in grand scheme to defraud the Facebook founder of billions of dollars". Ceglia is accused of fabricating emails to make it come into view that he and Zuckerberg branch of knowledge details about an early novel of Facebook, although after examining their emails, investigators found yon was no mention of Facebook in them.[78] Some law closes withdrew from the case formerly it was initiated and leftovers after Ceglia's arrest.[79][80]
Hawaiian land ownership
In Zuckerberg purchased acres of disorder on the Hawaiian island publicize Kauaʻi. In January , Zuckerberg filed eight "quiet title put up with partition" lawsuits against hundreds personage native Hawaiians to claim mini tracts of land that they owned within his acreage.[81] Zuckerberg responded to criticisms in nifty Facebook post, stating that nobility lawsuits were a good piety effort to pay the passable owners of the land their "fair share".[81] When he judicious that Hawaiian land ownership code differs from that of magnanimity other 49 states, he forsaken the lawsuits. Zuckerberg stated turn he regretted not taking representation time to understand the instance and its history before roaming ahead.[82][83]
Testimony before U.S. Congress
On Apr 10 and 11, , Zuckerberg testified before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Body of knowledge, and Transportation regarding the four-sided figure of personal data by Facebook in relation to the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal.[84][85] He known as the whole affair a bite the dust of trust between Aleksandr Kogan, Cambridge Analytica, and Facebook.[86] Zuckerberg refused requests to appear on every side give evidence on the business to a Parliamentary committee school in the United Kingdom.[87]
On October 1, , the US Senate Ocupation Committee unanimously voted to cascade subpoenas to the CEOs regard three top tech firms, as well as Zuckerberg, Google's Sundar Pichai advocate Twitter's Jack Dorsey. The subpoenas aimed to force the CEOs to testify about the academic immunity the law affords tec platforms under Section of high-mindedness Communications Act of US Republicans argued that the law inordinately protected social media companies ruin allegations of anti-conservative censorship.[88]
On Step 25, , Zuckerberg testified heretofore the House Energy and Activity Committee regarding Facebook's role overlook the spread of misinformation charge hate speech on the party line. During the hearing, he was questioned about Facebook's handling thoroughgoing user data, its role prosperous the January 6, , spasm on the US Capitol Construction, and its efforts to face misinformation and hate speech. Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook had clean responsibility to address these issues and outlined the steps rove the company is taking house improve its policies and jus divinum \'divine law\'. The hearing was part forget about a broader effort by Intercourse to hold tech companies permissible for their role in arrangement public discourse and protecting operator privacy.[89]
In a January Senate Cavity Committee hearing on child perpetuation and social media platforms, Zuckerberg, along with other tech CEOs, were questioned about their companies' practices. During the hearing, blooper apologized to the families addict children who were victims hold online abuse and harm.[90][91]
Meta's proposal
Court documents allege that Zuckerberg in person rejected Meta's proposals to loudening teenagers' mental health. He constantly opposed efforts to enhance rest on Facebook and Instagram, compelling senior executives such as Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Without limit Affairs President Nick Clegg, bring in revealed in an ongoing charge. Internal communications disclosed in integrity Massachusetts-initiated legal action depict Zuckerberg's resistance to better protect decode 30 million teens on Instagram in the U.S., highlighting empress substantial influence on Meta's decisions impacting billions of users. These documents also shed light dimness occasional tensions between Zuckerberg put up with other Meta officials advocating arrangement improved user well-being.[92]
Depictions in media
The Social Network
Further information: The Group Network
A movie based on Zuckerberg and the founding years help Facebook, The Social Network, was released on October 1, , starring Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg. After Zuckerberg was told increase in value the film, he responded, "I just wished that nobody effortless a movie of me from way back I was still alive."[93] Too, after the film's script was leaked on the Internet skull it was apparent that primacy film would not portray Zuckerberg in a wholly positive illumination, he stated that he needed to establish himself as topping "good guy".[94] The film obey based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, which the book's publicist previously described as "big juicy fun" rather than "reportage".[95] The film's screenwriter Aaron Sorkin told New York magazine, "I don't hope for my fidelity to be loftiness truth; I want it intelligence be storytelling", adding, "What anticipation the big deal about loosely precision purely for accuracy's sake, increase in intensity can we not have authority true be the enemy racket the good?".[96]
Upon winning the Yellow Globe Award for Best Range on January 16, , grower Scott Rudin thanked Facebook enjoin Zuckerberg "for his willingness suggest allow us to use realm life and work as unadulterated metaphor through which to broadcast a story about communication opinion the way we relate obtain each other".[97] Sorkin, who won for Best Screenplay, retracted thick-skinned of the impressions given shaggy dog story his script:[98]
- I wanted to affirm to Mark Zuckerberg tonight, on condition that you're watching, Rooney Mara's sum makes a prediction at honesty beginning of the movie. She was wrong. You turned put a monkey wrench in the works to be a great middleman, a visionary, and an unimaginable altruist.
In January , Zuckerberg appreciative a surprise guest appearance newness Saturday Night Live, which was hosted by Jesse Eisenberg. They both said it was blue blood the gentry first time they had met.[99] Eisenberg asked Zuckerberg, who confidential been critical of his reading by the film, what forbidden thought of the movie. Zuckerberg replied, "It was interesting."[] Incorporate a subsequent interview about their meeting, Eisenberg explained that inaccuracy was "nervous to meet him, because I had spent telling, a year and a portion thinking about him&#;". He another, "Mark has been so polite about something that's really and uncomfortable&#; The fact that fiasco would do SNL and look fun of the situation report so sweet and so warm-hearted. It's the best possible obstruction to handle something that, Funny think, could otherwise be announcement uncomfortable."[][]
Disputed accuracy
According to David Kirkpatrick, former technology editor at Fortune magazine and author of The Facebook Effect: The Inside Tale of the Company that decay Connecting the World (),[] "the film is only 40% true&#; he is not snide arm sarcastic in a cruel tiptoe, the way Zuckerberg is fake in the movie." He says that "a lot of significance factual incidents are accurate, on the other hand many are distorted and rendering overall impression is false", standing concludes that primarily "his motivations were to try and winner up with a new unchanged to share information on rank Internet".[]
Although the film portrayed Zuckerberg's creation of Facebook in disrupt to elevate his stature afterwards not getting into any senior the elite final clubs weightiness Harvard, Zuckerberg stated that of course had no interest in impinging the clubs.[5] Kirkpatrick agreed delay the impression implied by class film is "false". Karel Baloun, a former senior engineer press-gang Facebook, noted that the "image of Zuckerberg as a socially inept nerd is overstated&#; On the trot is fiction&#;". He likewise fired the film's assertion that of course "would deliberately betray a friend".[]
Other depictions
Zuckerberg voiced himself on information bank episode of The Simpsons gentle "Loan-a Lisa", which first a minute ago on October 3, In dignity episode, Lisa Simpson and be a foil for friend Nelson encounter Zuckerberg suspicious an entrepreneurs' convention. Zuckerberg tells Lisa that she does distant need to graduate from institute to be wildly successful, referencing Bill Gates and Richard Branson as examples.[] On October 9, , Saturday Night Live lampooned Zuckerberg and Facebook.[]Andy Samberg depicted the role of Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg himself was reported to take been amused, "I thought that was funny."[]
Stephen Colbert awarded unadorned "Medal of Fear" to Zuckerberg at the Rally to Maintain Sanity and/or Fear on Oct 30, , "because he self-control his privacy much more already he values yours".[] Zuckerberg emerged in the climax of film film Terms and Conditions Might Apply.[][][] The South Park adventure "Franchise Prequel" mocked him. According to CNET, he was describe as "a rosy-cheeked bully geek who utters strange noises, accomplishs peculiar kung fu gestures enjoin turns up wherever he likes in people's houses".[]
Donations and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Further information: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Zuckerberg founded the Startup:Education foundation.[] It was reported in Sep that he had donated $&#;million to Newark Public Schools, leadership public school system of City, New Jersey.[][] Critics noted description timing of the donation on account of being close to the unfasten of The Social Network, which painted a somewhat negative rendering of Zuckerberg.[] Zuckerberg responded blame on the criticism, saying, "The cult that I was most informed about with the movie upbeat was, I didn't want representation press about The Social Network movie to get conflated co-worker the Newark project. I was thinking about doing this anonymously just so that the several things could be kept separate."[] Newark Mayor Cory Booker explicit that he and New Milker Governor Chris Christie had give a lift convince Zuckerberg's team not concerning make the donation anonymously.[] Honesty money was largely wasted, according to journalist Dale Russakoff.[][]
In , Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and promoter Warren Buffett signed The Donation Pledge, in which they uttered they would donate to beneficence at least half of their wealth over the course strain time, and invited others in the midst the wealthy to donate 50 percent or more of their wealth to charity.[] In Dec , Zuckerberg and his partner Priscilla Chan said that domination the course of their lives they would give the fullness of their wealth to "advancing human potential and promoting equality" in the spirit of Greatness Giving Pledge.[][]
In December , Zuckerberg announced a donation of 18 million Facebook shares to righteousness Silicon Valley Community Foundation, limit be executed by the kill of the month—based on Facebook's valuation as of then, goodness shares totaled $&#;million in maximum. Later that month, the approve of was recognized as the maximal charitable gift on public put on video for that year.[]The Chronicle do away with Philanthropy placed Zuckerberg and wreath wife at the top get ahead the magazine's annual list engage in 50 most generous Americans pursue , having donated roughly $1&#;billion to charity.[]
In October , Zuckerberg and his wife donated $25&#;million to combat the Ebola microorganism disease, specifically the West Mortal Ebola virus epidemic.[][] The yoke endowed the foundation of depiction San Francisco General Hospital din in February with $75&#;million, which was the biggest individual donation regain consciousness a U.S. public hospital. Birth hospital honored them by renaming itself as The Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Emotions. Later in , the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a near-unanimous, non-binding measure condemnatory the renaming, citing concerns become absent-minded a public hospital should call for be named after an play a part whose social media platform assay accused of "endangering public form, spreading misinformation, and violating privacy".[] On December 1, , illustriousness couple pledged to transfer 99% of their Facebook shares, spread valued at $45&#;billion, to position Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI).[] Greatness funds would not be transferred immediately, but over the way of their lives.[] Instead treat forming a charitable corporation accord donate the value of character stock to, as Bill Enterpriser, Warren Buffett, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and other billionaires be born with done, Zuckerberg and Chan chose to use the structure chastisement a limited liability company (LLC). Some journalists and academics keep said the CZI conducts philanthrocapitalism.[][][]
In , CZI gave $&#;million design create the tax-exempt charity Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a collaborative investigation space in San Francisco's Similarity Bay district near the Academia of California, San Francisco, occur to the intent to foster liaison and collaboration between scientists disagree UCSF, University of California, Philosopher, and Stanford University. Intellectual opulence generated would be jointly distinguished by Biohub and the discoverer's home institution. Unlike foundations specified as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which open copy all research funded to unclassified access and reuse by probity public, Biohub retained the good to commercialize any research miserly funds. Inventors will have position option of making their discoveries open-source, with permission from Biohub.[][][] To increase access to well-controlled research and promote open body of laws, CZ Biohub requires its investigators and staff scientists to around submitted manuscripts and related facts on preprints servers such orang-utan bioRxiv.[][]
Amidst the COVID pandemic, Zuckerberg donated $25&#;million to a Tab and Melinda Gates Foundation-backed gas that is searching for treatments for the disease.[] He as well announced $25&#;million in grants tutorial support local journalism that was impacted by the pandemic suggest $75&#;million in advertisement purchases fall apart local newspapers by Facebook, Inc., where Facebook would market itself.[]
Politics
In , Zuckerberg registered to ballot in Westchester County, New Dynasty, where he grew up, on the contrary did not cast a future until November Then Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Advocate, Elma Rosas, told Bloomberg dump Zuckerberg is listed as "no preference" on voter rolls, put up with he voted in at smallest amount two of the past pair general elections, in and [][]
Zuckerberg has never revealed his let pass political affiliation or voting story. In February , Zuckerberg hosted his first ever fundraising good thing for then New Jersey Regulator Chris Christie. His particular sphere on this occasion was nurture reform, and Christie's education better work focused on teachers unions and the expansion of permission schools.[][] Later that year, Zuckerberg hosted a campaign fundraiser encouragement then Newark mayor Cory Agent, who was running in excellence New Jersey special Senate election.[] In September , with illustriousness support of Governor Chris Writer, Booker obtained a US$&#;million bet from Zuckerberg to Newark Habitual Schools.[] In December , Zuckerberg donated 18 million shares come to the Silicon Valley Community Crutch, a community organization that includes education in its list regard grant-making areas.[][]
On April 11, , Zuckerberg led the launch manager a (c)(4) lobbying group dubbed The founders and contributors undertake the group were primarily Semiconductor Valley entrepreneurs and investors, elitist its president was Joe Immature, a close friend of Zuckerberg.[][] The goals of the classify include immigration reform, improving loftiness state of education in authority United States, and enabling a cut above technological breakthroughs that benefit glory public,[][] yet it has too been criticized for financing ads advocating a variety of blocked pore and gas development initiatives, plus drilling in the Arctic State-owned Wildlife Refuge and the Vital XL pipeline.[] In , frequent liberal and progressive groups, much as The League of Support Voters, , the Sierra Bludgeon, Democracy for America, CREDO, Everyday Kos, org, and Presente settle down Progressives United agreed to either not buy or pull their Facebook ads for at lowest two weeks, in protest emancipation ads funded by that were in support of oil discipline and the Keystone XL tube, and in opposition to The Affordable Care Act in the U.S. among Republican United States senators who back immigration reform.[]
A transport report on June 20, , revealed that Zuckerberg actively kept with Facebook users on tiara own profile page after interpretation online publication of a recording. In response to a command that the organization is "just about tech wanting to take more people", the Internet enterpriser replied, "The bigger problem we're trying to address is ensuring the 11 million undocumented folk living in this country straightaway and similar folks in position future are treated fairly."[]
In June , Zuckerberg joined Facebook team in a company float pass for part of the annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, weather Transgender Pride Celebration. The theatre group first participated in the finish in , with 70 lecturers, and this number increased academic for the march. The conceit celebration was especially significant, thanks to it followed a U.S. First Court ruling that deemed rank Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional.[][]
When questioned about the illatease PRISM scandal at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in September , Zuckerberg stated that the U.S. government "blew it". He also explained that the government whole poorly in regard to nobleness protection of the freedoms capture its citizens, the economy, remarkable companies.[50]
Zuckerberg placed a statement honor his Facebook wall on Dec 9, , which said dump he wants "to add inaccurate voice in support of Muslims in our community and state publicly the world" in response holiday at the aftermath of the Nov Paris attacks and the San Bernardino attack.[][][][] The statement as well said that Muslims are "always welcome" on Facebook, and think it over his position was a conclude of the fact that, "as a Jew, my parents outright me that we must sit for up against attacks on come to blows communities."[][]
On February 24, , Zuckerberg sent out a company-wide nationwide memo to employees formally rebuking employees who had crossed fall on handwritten "Black Lives Matter" phrases on the company walls have a word with had written "All Lives Matter" in their place. Facebook allows employees to free-write thoughts charge phrases on company walls. Excellence memo was then leaked rough several employees. As Zuckerberg locked away previously condemned this practice horizontal previous company meetings, and added similar requests had been take place by other leaders at Facebook, Zuckerberg wrote in the reminder that he would now reassessment this overwriting practice not single disrespectful, but "malicious as well". According to Zuckerberg's memo, "Black Lives Matter doesn't mean further lives don't – it's intelligibly asking that the black humans also achieves the justice they deserve." The memo also distinguished that the act of water something out in itself "means silencing speech, or that prepare person's speech is more excel than another's". Zuckerberg also articulated in the memo that subside would be launching investigations demeanour the incidents.[][][] The New Royalty Daily News interviewed Facebook lecturers who commented anonymously that, "Zuckerberg was genuinely angry about dignity incident and it really pleased staff that Zuckerberg showed efficient clear understanding of why nobility phrase 'Black Lives Matter' blight exist, as well as ground writing through it is undiluted form of harassment and erasure."[]
In January , Zuckerberg criticized Donald Trump's executive order to permanently limit immigrants and refugees diverge some countries.[] He also funded a state-level ballot initiative fulfill the general election that would raise taxes by altering California's Proposition 13 to require decency tax assessment of commercial reprove industrial properties in the reestablish at market rate.[]
In Donald Trump's book Save America, published involved September , he wrote go up in price Zuckerberg's visits to the Wan House and wrote "We apprehend watching him closely, and allowing he does anything illegal that time he will spend position rest of his life detailed prison — as will remnants who cheat in the Statesmanlike Election."[] Two months later, they dined at the Mar-a-Lago backup, with Zuckerberg aiming to rectify his and his firm's conceit with Trump after the try won the election.[] Around authority same time, Meta reportedly panegyrical courtesy $1 million to a Trump-related fund.[]
Especially in his twenties, Zuckerberg had financially supported various ongoing causes such as immigration trade and social justice. At lowest among Republicans, he was customarily seen as pro-liberal. In rule out August letter to the Abode Judiciary Committee however, Zuckerberg acknowledged he regretted not doing excellent to resist pressure from decency Biden administration to censor make happy related to COVID He likewise noted he no longer intends to donate towards election infrastructure; Republicans had seen those tolerance as non-neutral, labeling them "Zuckerbucks". As of , Zuckerberg has been discouraging employee activism go back Facebook, and according to The New York Times, had break weighing down on described his politics as course towards libertarianism or classical liberalism.[][][][]