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Mark Zuckerberg
- Birth: 14 May 1984
- Death: —
- Age: 41 years
- Net Worth: $251.0B USD
- Income Source: Ownership stake in Meta Platforms, stock sales in Meta Platforms, interest on investments
Biography
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, born May 14, 1984, in White Plains, New York, was a prodigy hacker from a Jewish family—father a dentist, mother a psychiatrist. At Phillips Exeter Academy, he built ZuckNet, a messaging system for his dad's office. Harvard freshman year, 2004: with roommates Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin, he launched "TheFacebook" from his dorm, initially for campus connections.
The site exploded. By 2005, it outgrew Harvard; by 2006, Zuckerberg dropped out at 19 to run it full-time. Relocating to Palo Alto, he secured $500,000 from Peter Thiel. Renamed Facebook in 2005, it hit 1 million users by December. Yahoo's $1 billion buyout? Rejected. Microsoft invested $240 million in 2007 for 1.6% stake. In 2012, it IPO'd at $16 billion—the biggest tech debut ever—Zuckerberg rang the bell at 28.
Scandals hit: 2018 Cambridge Analytica exposed data misuse of 87 million users, sparking congressional grilling. Zuckerberg apologized, testifying in a hoodie. The 2021 pivot to "Meta" bet $10 billion+ on the metaverse—Oculus buy in 2014 was prescient, but Horizon Worlds flopped amid VR hype. Yet, Instagram (2012, $1B), WhatsApp (2014, $19B), and Threads (2023) fortified the empire.
By October 2025, Meta boasts 3.4 billion daily users, $164.5 billion 2024 revenue—fueled by AI ads, Reels. Zuckerberg's 13% stake vaults his worth to $251 billion, third globally. Married to Priscilla Chan since 2012 (met at Facebook party), parents to three daughters, he channels billions via Chan Zuckerberg Initiative—cures, education. Hawaii compounds, Launchpad superyacht ($300M): perks of power.
From dorm-room prank to digital demigod, Zuckerberg's 13,000% returns reshaped society—connection, surveillance, innovation. At 41, with Orion AR glasses and Llama AI, he chases the next frontier: seamless virtual worlds. Flawed visionary? Undeniably.
The site exploded. By 2005, it outgrew Harvard; by 2006, Zuckerberg dropped out at 19 to run it full-time. Relocating to Palo Alto, he secured $500,000 from Peter Thiel. Renamed Facebook in 2005, it hit 1 million users by December. Yahoo's $1 billion buyout? Rejected. Microsoft invested $240 million in 2007 for 1.6% stake. In 2012, it IPO'd at $16 billion—the biggest tech debut ever—Zuckerberg rang the bell at 28.
Scandals hit: 2018 Cambridge Analytica exposed data misuse of 87 million users, sparking congressional grilling. Zuckerberg apologized, testifying in a hoodie. The 2021 pivot to "Meta" bet $10 billion+ on the metaverse—Oculus buy in 2014 was prescient, but Horizon Worlds flopped amid VR hype. Yet, Instagram (2012, $1B), WhatsApp (2014, $19B), and Threads (2023) fortified the empire.
By October 2025, Meta boasts 3.4 billion daily users, $164.5 billion 2024 revenue—fueled by AI ads, Reels. Zuckerberg's 13% stake vaults his worth to $251 billion, third globally. Married to Priscilla Chan since 2012 (met at Facebook party), parents to three daughters, he channels billions via Chan Zuckerberg Initiative—cures, education. Hawaii compounds, Launchpad superyacht ($300M): perks of power.
From dorm-room prank to digital demigod, Zuckerberg's 13,000% returns reshaped society—connection, surveillance, innovation. At 41, with Orion AR glasses and Llama AI, he chases the next frontier: seamless virtual worlds. Flawed visionary? Undeniably.