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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name         = Mark Zuckerberg
| name = Mark Zuckerberg
| birth_name   = Mark Elliot Zuckerberg
| birth_name = Mark Elliot Zuckerberg
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1984|5|14}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|5|14}}
| birth_place = [[White Plains, New York]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[White Plains, New York]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| nationality = American
| occupation   = {{flatlist|
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Business executive
* Business executive
* Programmer
* programmer
}}
}}
| known_for   = Co-founding [[Facebook]] and [[Meta Platforms]]
| known_for = Co-founding [[Facebook]] and [[Meta Platforms]]
| title       = Chairman and CEO of [[Meta Platforms]]
| title = Chairman and CEO of [[Meta Platforms]]
| education   = [[Harvard University]] (dropped out)
| education = [[Harvard University]] (dropped out)
| spouse      = Priscilla Chan (m. 2012)
| children = 3
| children     = 3
| years_active = 2004–present
| years_active = 2004–present
| website     = {{URL|about.meta.com}}
| website = {{URL|about.meta.com}}
}}
}}


'''Mark Elliot Zuckerberg''' (born May 14, 1984) is an American businessman and programmer who co-founded the social media platform [[Facebook]] in 2004 and serves as chairman and chief executive officer of its parent company, [[Meta Platforms]]. Born in [[White Plains, New York]], Zuckerberg developed an early aptitude for computer programming and created several software projects as a teenager before enrolling at [[Harvard University]]. At Harvard, he launched "Thefacebook" from his dormitory room in February 2004 alongside roommates [[Eduardo Saverin]], [[Andrew McCollum]], [[Dustin Moskovitz]], and [[Chris Hughes]]. The site grew rapidly across college campuses and eventually expanded to become one of the most widely used internet services in the world. Zuckerberg took Facebook public in May 2012, retaining majority voting control of the company. In 2008, at the age of 23, he became the world's youngest self-made billionaire.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg/ |publisher=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> His career has been marked by rapid corporate expansion, significant philanthropic commitments through the [[Chan Zuckerberg Initiative]], and sustained legal and political scrutiny over issues including user privacy, platform governance, and the effects of social media on young people. As of February 2026, Zuckerberg is among the wealthiest individuals in the world and remains the controlling shareholder of Meta Platforms.
'''Mark Elliot Zuckerberg''' (born May 14, 1984) is an American businessman, programmer, and internet entrepreneur who co-founded the social networking service [[Facebook]] in 2004 and serves as chairman and chief executive officer of its parent company, [[Meta Platforms]]. What began as a college project in a Harvard dormitory room grew into one of the largest technology companies in the world, fundamentally reshaping how billions of people communicate, share information, and interact online. Zuckerberg became the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 2008 at age 23.<ref name="forbes">{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg/ |publisher=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He has remained a controlling shareholder of Meta Platforms through a dual-class share structure, giving him decisive authority over the company's strategic direction. Alongside his wife, Priscilla Chan, he established the [[Chan Zuckerberg Initiative]], a philanthropic organization. His career has also been marked by significant legal and political scrutiny, including lawsuits over the creation and ownership of Facebook and ongoing controversies regarding user privacy and the platform's effects on younger users. In February 2026, Zuckerberg testified in a landmark trial examining whether social media companies are fueling a teen mental health crisis.<ref name="yahoo-trial">{{cite news |date=2026-02-21 |title=Mark Zuckerberg Grilled in Social Media Addiction Trial That Could Cost Platforms Billions |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mark-zuckerberg-grilled-social-media-200423259.html |work=Yahoo News |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May 14, 1984, in [[White Plains, New York]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Face of Facebook |url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas |work=The New Yorker |date=2010-09-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He grew up in [[Dobbs Ferry, New York]], in a household that encouraged intellectual pursuit and education. His father, Edward Zuckerberg, is a dentist, and his mother, Karen, is a psychiatrist. He has three sisters: Randi, Donna, and Arielle.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Facebook Was Founded |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-was-founded-2010-3#we-can-talk-about-that-after-i-get-all-the-basic-functionality-up-tomorrow-night-1 |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May 14, 1984, in [[White Plains, New York]]. He grew up in [[Dobbs Ferry, New York]], in a household that encouraged education and intellectual curiosity. His father, Edward Zuckerberg, is a dentist, and his mother, Karen (née Kempner), is a psychiatrist.<ref name="newyorker">{{cite news |last=Vargas |first=Jose Antonio |date=2010-09-20 |title=The Face of Facebook |url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas |work=The New Yorker |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He has three sisters: Randi, Donna, and Arielle.


Zuckerberg showed an early interest in computers and programming. During his middle school years, his father taught him [[Atari BASIC]] programming and later hired a software developer named David Newman to tutor him privately. Newman reportedly described the young Zuckerberg as a "prodigy."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Face of Facebook |url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas |work=The New Yorker |date=2010-09-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> While still a student at [[Ardsley High School]], Zuckerberg built a software program called "ZuckNet," which functioned as a primitive messaging system allowing computers in the family home and his father's dental office to communicate with each other.
Zuckerberg developed an interest in computers at an early age. His father taught him Atari BASIC programming during his childhood, and later hired software developer David Newman to tutor him privately.<ref name="newyorker" /> While still in middle school, Zuckerberg created a messaging program called "ZuckNet," which allowed computers in the family home and his father's dental office to communicate with each other — a rudimentary form of instant messaging that the family used internally before commercial products like AOL Instant Messenger became widely available.<ref name="businessinsider-founding">{{cite web |title=How Facebook Was Founded |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-was-founded-2010-3#we-can-talk-about-that-after-i-get-all-the-basic-functionality-up-tomorrow-night-1 |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Zuckerberg later transferred to [[Phillips Exeter Academy]], an elite preparatory school in New Hampshire, where he excelled in science and classical studies. At Exeter, he continued developing software and, with a friend, created a music player called Synapse Media Player that used [[machine learning]] to learn users' listening habits. The project attracted interest from several technology companies, including [[Microsoft]] and [[AOL]], which reportedly attempted to recruit the teenage programmer and acquire the software.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg's Inspiration for Facebook Before Harvard |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201185222/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/mark_zuckerberg_inspiration_for_facebook_before_harvard.php |publisher=ReadWriteWeb |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Zuckerberg declined these offers and chose instead to attend [[Harvard University]].
During his years at [[Ardsley High School]] and later at [[Phillips Exeter Academy]], Zuckerberg continued to develop software projects. He and a friend, Adam D'Angelo, built a music player called Synapse Media Player that used [[machine learning]] to learn users' listening habits. The software attracted interest from technology companies, including [[AOL]] and [[Microsoft]], both of which reportedly sought to acquire the program and hire Zuckerberg, though he declined.<ref name="newyorker" /> The project was posted on [[Slashdot]], a technology news site, where it received positive attention.<ref>{{cite web |title=Synapse Media Player |url=http://slashdot.org/articles/03/04/21/110236.shtml |publisher=Slashdot |date=2003-04-21 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Zuckerberg's early programming activities demonstrated both technical skill and an inclination toward building tools for social interaction and user behavior analysis, themes that would come to define his later work.


His early programming work demonstrated a consistent interest in building tools that connected people and mapped social relationships — themes that would define his later career and the founding of Facebook.
Before attending Harvard, Zuckerberg had already explored the idea of building online social tools. According to reporting by ReadWriteWeb, his inspiration for social networking predated his arrival at the university.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg: Inspiration for Facebook Before Harvard |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201185222/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/mark_zuckerberg_inspiration_for_facebook_before_harvard.php |publisher=ReadWriteWeb (archived) |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Education ==
== Education ==


Zuckerberg enrolled at [[Harvard University]] in 2002 as a member of the Class of 2006. He studied computer science and psychology.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Face of Facebook |url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas |work=The New Yorker |date=2010-09-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> During his time at Harvard, he gained a reputation as a programmer and developed several projects that attracted attention on campus. One early project, Facemash, allowed students to compare the attractiveness of their classmates using photographs obtained without authorization from the university's online directories. The site was shut down by the Harvard administration shortly after its launch due to concerns about privacy and the unauthorized use of student images.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Mark Zuckerberg Hacked Into The Harvard Crimson |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-hacked-into-the-harvard-crimson-2010-3 |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Zuckerberg enrolled at [[Harvard University]] in 2002, where he studied computer science and psychology.<ref name="newyorker" /> At Harvard, he quickly gained a reputation as a skilled programmer. In his sophomore year, he created a website called Facemash, which allowed students to compare the attractiveness of their classmates using photos pulled from university directories. The site generated controversy and was shut down by the Harvard administration, which raised concerns about privacy violations and unauthorized use of student data.<ref>{{cite web |title=TheFacebook.com's Darker Side |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614061858/http://www.stanforddaily.com/2004/03/10/thefacebookcoms-darker-side/ |publisher=The Stanford Daily (archived) |date=2004-03-10 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Zuckerberg left Harvard during his sophomore year in 2004 to focus on the development of Facebook full-time and did not complete his undergraduate degree at that time. In May 2017, Harvard awarded him an honorary doctorate, and he delivered the university's commencement address.<ref>{{cite web |title=Harvard Awards 10 Honorary Degrees at 366th Commencement |url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/05/harvard-awards-10-honorary-degrees-at-366th-commencement/ |publisher=Harvard Gazette |date=2017-05-25 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg Finally Got His Harvard Degree |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2017/05/25/mark-zuckerberg-finally-got-his-harvard-degree/37432061/ |work=USA Today |date=2017-05-25 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
The Facemash episode presaged both the appeal and the controversy that would surround Zuckerberg's later ventures. In February 2004, while still a sophomore, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook" from his Harvard dormitory room.<ref name="businessinsider-founding" /> He left Harvard shortly thereafter to focus on growing the company and did not complete his undergraduate degree at that time.
 
In 2017, Harvard awarded Zuckerberg an honorary degree. He delivered the commencement address at the university's 366th graduation ceremony.<ref>{{cite web |title=Harvard Awards 10 Honorary Degrees at 366th Commencement |url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/05/harvard-awards-10-honorary-degrees-at-366th-commencement/ |publisher=Harvard Gazette |date=2017-05 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2017-05-25 |title=Mark Zuckerberg Finally Got His Harvard Degree |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2017/05/25/mark-zuckerberg-finally-got-his-harvard-degree/37432061/ |work=USA Today |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
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=== Founding of Facebook ===
=== Founding of Facebook ===


In February 2004, while still a sophomore at Harvard, Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook" from his dormitory room in Kirkland House. The site was initially restricted to Harvard students and required a Harvard email address for registration. He built the site with his roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Facebook Was Founded |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-was-founded-2010-3#we-can-talk-about-that-after-i-get-all-the-basic-functionality-up-tomorrow-night-1 |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook" from his Harvard dormitory. He co-founded the site with his roommates [[Eduardo Saverin]], [[Andrew McCollum]], [[Dustin Moskovitz]], and [[Chris Hughes]].<ref name="businessinsider-founding" /> The website was initially limited to Harvard students, requiring a harvard.edu email address to register. It spread rapidly through the campus, and within weeks it had expanded to other [[Ivy League]] universities and then to additional colleges and universities across the United States.
 
The founding of Facebook was not without dispute. Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, three Harvard students who had been developing a social networking concept called HarvardConnection (later ConnectU), alleged that Zuckerberg had been hired to help build their platform and instead used their ideas to create Facebook. The dispute led to a protracted legal battle. In 2008, a federal judge ruled on the case, effectively ending the initial phase of the litigation.<ref>{{cite news |date=2008-06-26 |title=Judge Ends Facebook's Feud With ConnectU |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/judge-ends-facebooks-feud-with-connectu/index.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The Winklevoss twins ultimately received a settlement reportedly valued at $65 million, which grew substantially in value. By 2012, when Facebook went public, the Winklevoss twins' stake from the settlement was estimated to be worth roughly $300 million.<ref>{{cite news |date=2012-02-02 |title=Facebook IPO Could Give Winklevoss Twins $300m Fortune |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/feb/02/facebook-ipo-winklevoss-300m-fortune |work=The Guardian |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
During this early period, Zuckerberg was also reported to have accessed the accounts of Harvard Crimson reporters who were investigating him, using login data from Facebook's servers.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Mark Zuckerberg Hacked Into the Harvard Crimson |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-hacked-into-the-harvard-crimson-2010-3 |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> This incident later contributed to scrutiny over his approach to user data and privacy.


The platform's concept — an online directory that mirrored the physical "face books" distributed at Harvard to help students identify their classmates — proved to be immediately popular. Within the first month of its launch, more than half of Harvard's undergraduate population had registered for the site. The service quickly expanded to other Ivy League institutions, then to universities across the United States and Canada, and eventually to high school students and the general public.
=== Growth and IPO ===


Shortly after Facebook's launch, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, three Harvard students, alleged that Zuckerberg had stolen their idea for a social networking site called HarvardConnection (later renamed ConnectU). The dispute resulted in a lawsuit, which was settled in 2008 for a reported $65 million in cash and Facebook shares.<ref>{{cite news |title=Judge Ends Facebook's Feud With ConnectU |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/judge-ends-facebooks-feud-with-connectu/index.html |work=The New York Times |date=2008-06-26 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The settlement subsequently made the Winklevoss twins significant shareholders in Facebook, and their stake was valued at approximately $300 million at the time of Facebook's initial public offering.<ref>{{cite news |title=Facebook IPO: Winklevoss twins set for $300m fortune |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/feb/02/facebook-ipo-winklevoss-300m-fortune |work=The Guardian |date=2012-02-02 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
After leaving Harvard, Zuckerberg moved Facebook's operations to [[Palo Alto, California]]. The company attracted early investment from [[Peter Thiel]] and later from [[Accel Partners]], fueling rapid expansion. Facebook's user base grew from a college-only network to a platform open to anyone aged 13 and older. By the mid-2000s, Facebook had become the dominant social networking platform in the United States and was expanding globally.


Zuckerberg moved to [[Palo Alto, California]], in the summer of 2004, establishing the company's first offices there. He dropped out of Harvard to manage Facebook's growth full-time.
Zuckerberg's approach to managing the company was shaped by his desire to maintain control over its direction. He instituted a dual-class share structure that gave him majority voting power even as external investors acquired economic stakes in the company. This governance structure has remained a defining feature of the company.


=== Growth of Facebook and Initial Public Offering ===
A profile of Zuckerberg and the company published by ''Rolling Stone'' in 2006 explored the intense competition within the technology industry for control of social networking and the personal dynamics behind Facebook's rapid rise.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Battle for Facebook |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703220456/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21129674/the_battle_for_facebook/ |publisher=Rolling Stone (archived) |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Under Zuckerberg's leadership, Facebook grew from a college networking tool into a global social media platform. The company attracted early venture capital investment and expanded its user base into the hundreds of millions within a few years. Zuckerberg served as chief executive throughout this period, maintaining tight control over the company's strategic direction.
In 2007, Facebook launched the Facebook Platform, allowing third-party developers to build applications that operated within the social network. Reporting by ''The Wall Street Journal'' covered the strategic implications of this move, which helped cement Facebook's position as a central hub of online activity.<ref>{{cite news |date=2007-07 |title=Facebook Platform |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118539991204578084 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Facebook's initial public offering (IPO) took place on May 18, 2012, and was one of the largest technology IPOs in history. Zuckerberg retained majority voting shares, ensuring his continued control over the company's governance and strategic decisions even as it became publicly traded. The IPO was notable both for its scale and for the technical difficulties that plagued early trading on the [[NASDAQ]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg/ |publisher=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
On May 18, 2012, Facebook held its [[initial public offering]] (IPO) on the [[NASDAQ]] stock exchange, with a peak [[market capitalization]] of over $104 billion — the largest valuation at that time for a newly listed public company. Zuckerberg retained majority control of the company's voting shares through the offering.<ref name="forbes" />


In 2008, Zuckerberg became the world's youngest self-made billionaire at the age of 23, a distinction based on his ownership stake in Facebook.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg/ |publisher=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> His position among the world's wealthiest individuals has fluctuated with Meta's stock price but has generally trended upward over time.
=== Expansion and Rebranding to Meta ===


The company's growth trajectory was accompanied by a series of significant acquisitions. Under Zuckerberg's direction, Facebook acquired [[Instagram]] in 2012, the messaging platform [[WhatsApp]] in 2014, and the virtual reality company [[Oculus VR]] in 2014. These acquisitions expanded Meta's portfolio well beyond the original Facebook platform.
Under Zuckerberg's leadership, the company pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, purchasing [[Instagram]] in 2012 and [[WhatsApp]] in 2014, among other companies. These acquisitions significantly expanded the company's reach and user base, making it one of the most influential technology conglomerates in the world.


=== Rebranding to Meta Platforms ===
In October 2021, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook, Inc. would be renamed to [[Meta Platforms]], reflecting a strategic pivot toward building the "[[metaverse]]" — an interconnected set of virtual and augmented reality experiences. The rebranding came amid intensifying criticism of the company related to content moderation, misinformation, and the internal research documents leaked by former employee [[Frances Haugen]].


In October 2021, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook, Inc. would rebrand as Meta Platforms, Inc. The name change reflected the company's strategic shift toward building the "[[metaverse]]," a concept encompassing immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences. Zuckerberg articulated a long-term vision for Meta that moved beyond social media into hardware, virtual reality, and mixed reality technologies. The company's [[Reality Labs]] division, focused on these technologies, has received billions of dollars in investment under Zuckerberg's direction.
Zuckerberg has also directed significant company resources toward [[artificial intelligence]]. In January 2026, he stated that AI tools were enabling individual employees at Meta to accomplish work that previously required entire teams, signaling a shift in the company's hiring strategy and approach to workforce development.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-01 |title=Zuckerberg Says AI Is Letting One Employee Do the Work of Entire Teams |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-says-ai-letting-one-employee-do-work-of-teams-2026-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


=== Artificial Intelligence Strategy ===
Meta's hardware division has developed products including the [[Ray-Ban Meta]] smart glasses, which combine camera functionality with AI-powered features. The glasses drew public attention in February 2026 when members of Zuckerberg's entourage wore them into a courtroom during a trial, prompting a rebuke from the presiding judge over the no-recording policy.<ref name="fortune-glasses">{{cite news |date=2026-02-20 |title=Mark Zuckerberg's entourage threatened with contempt for wearing Meta AI glasses into a no-recording courtroom |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/20/mark-zuckerbergs-contempt-of-court-meta-glasses-courtroom-trial-social-media-addiction/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-20 |title=Judge Blasts Zuckerberg's Team Over Bonkers Courtroom Antics |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-blasts-mark-zuckerbergs-team-over-bonkers-courtroom-antics/ |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The incident raised questions about the social norms surrounding wearable recording devices in sensitive environments.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-23 |title=Did Meta Just Accidentally Prove Smart Glasses Are a Liability? |url=https://gizmodo.com/did-meta-just-accidentally-prove-smart-glasses-are-a-liability-2000725585 |work=Gizmodo |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


By 2025 and 2026, Zuckerberg had increasingly positioned Meta as an artificial intelligence company. In early 2026, he stated publicly that AI was enabling a single employee at Meta to accomplish work that previously required entire teams, signaling a shift in the company's hiring philosophy and approach to workforce productivity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zuckerberg Says AI Is Letting One Employee Do the Work of Entire Teams |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-says-ai-letting-one-employee-do-work-of-teams-2026-1 |work=Business Insider |date=2026-01 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The company's investments in AI extended to its consumer hardware, including Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses equipped with AI capabilities.
=== Legal Challenges and Regulatory Scrutiny ===


=== Legal and Regulatory Scrutiny ===
Throughout his career, Zuckerberg and Meta have faced extensive legal and regulatory challenges. The early lawsuit by the Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra was the first of many legal disputes concerning the company.


Zuckerberg's career has been marked by significant legal and regulatory challenges. Beyond the early ConnectU lawsuit, Facebook and later Meta have faced ongoing scrutiny from governments and regulators worldwide over data privacy practices, content moderation policies, antitrust concerns, and the platform's impact on democratic processes and public discourse.
Privacy and data handling have been recurring points of contention. The company's practices with user data led to scrutiny by government agencies in the United States and abroad. Zuckerberg has appeared before the [[United States Congress]] on multiple occasions to testify about Facebook's handling of user data, its role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on democracy and public discourse.


In February 2026, Zuckerberg testified in a landmark trial in which multiple plaintiffs alleged that social media platforms, including those operated by Meta, were designed in ways that fostered addictive behavior among children and teenagers. During his testimony, Zuckerberg stated that the company's algorithm was not intentionally designed to be addictive for young users.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Zuckerberg Grilled in Social Media Addiction Trial That Could Cost Platforms Billions |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mark-zuckerberg-grilled-social-media-200423259.html |work=Yahoo News |date=2026-02-21 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The trial drew widespread public attention and was expected to have potentially significant financial consequences for multiple technology companies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Zuckerberg faces a jury today |url=https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/g-s1-110537/up-first-newsletter-cbs-anderson-cooper-mark-zuckerberg-iran-nuclear-program-dhs-tricia |work=NPR |date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In February 2026, Zuckerberg took the stand as a witness in a landmark trial examining allegations that social media platforms, including those operated by Meta, are designed in ways that are addictive to children and teenagers. During his testimony, Zuckerberg stated that the company's algorithm was not intentionally designed to be addictive for younger users.<ref name="yahoo-trial" /> The trial, which could result in billions of dollars in potential liability for technology companies, was closely watched by regulators, parents' advocacy groups, and the technology industry.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-18 |title=Mark Zuckerberg faces a jury today |url=https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/g-s1-110537/up-first-newsletter-cbs-anderson-cooper-mark-zuckerberg-iran-nuclear-program-dhs-tricia |work=NPR |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


The trial also generated attention when members of Zuckerberg's entourage entered the courtroom wearing Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, which are equipped with recording capabilities. A judge admonished the group for bringing camera-equipped devices into a no-recording courtroom, and there were reports that some members of the entourage faced the threat of contempt proceedings.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Zuckerberg's entourage threatened with contempt for wearing Meta AI glasses into a no-recording courtroom |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/20/mark-zuckerbergs-contempt-of-court-meta-glasses-courtroom-trial-social-media-addiction/ |work=Fortune |date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Judge Blasts Zuckerberg's Team Over Bonkers Courtroom Antics |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-blasts-mark-zuckerbergs-team-over-bonkers-courtroom-antics/ |work=The Daily Beast |date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> The incident prompted commentary about the social acceptability and legal implications of smart glasses equipped with cameras and AI.<ref>{{cite web |title=Did Meta Just Accidentally Prove Smart Glasses Are a Liability? |url=https://gizmodo.com/did-meta-just-accidentally-prove-smart-glasses-are-a-liability-2000725585 |publisher=Gizmodo |date=2026-02-23 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
=== Philanthropy and Other Ventures ===


=== Other Ventures ===
Zuckerberg and his wife, [[Priscilla Chan]], established the [[Chan Zuckerberg Initiative]] (CZI) in December 2015, pledging to donate 99% of their Facebook shares — then valued at approximately $45 billion — over their lifetimes. The CZI is structured as a [[limited liability company]] rather than a traditional charitable foundation, allowing it to invest in for-profit companies, make political donations, and lobby for legislation in addition to making charitable grants.


Outside of Meta, Zuckerberg has participated in other technology initiatives. In 2016, he joined the Breakthrough Starshot initiative, a $100 million research program aiming to develop and launch small, light-propelled space probes to the [[Alpha Centauri]] star system. The project was announced alongside physicist [[Stephen Hawking]] and investor [[Yuri Milner]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Zuckerberg Joins $100 Million Initiative to Send Tiny Space Probes to Explore Alpha Centauri |url=https://www.newsweek.com/mark-zuckerberg-joins-100-million-initiative-send-tiny-space-probes-explore-447513 |work=Newsweek |date=2016-04 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In 2016, Zuckerberg joined the Breakthrough Starshot initiative, a $100 million research program to develop technology for sending small space probes to the [[Alpha Centauri]] star system. The project, also backed by physicist [[Stephen Hawking]] and investor [[Yuri Milner]], aims to use laser-propelled light sails to reach nearby stars within a human generation.<ref>{{cite news |date=2016 |title=Mark Zuckerberg Joins $100 Million Initiative to Send Tiny Space Probes to Explore Alpha Centauri |url=https://www.newsweek.com/mark-zuckerberg-joins-100-million-initiative-send-tiny-space-probes-explore-447513 |work=Newsweek |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Personal Life ==
== Personal Life ==


Zuckerberg married Priscilla Chan in May 2012, at their home in Palo Alto, California, one day after Facebook's IPO.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Zuckerberg marries Priscilla Chan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40053163 |work=BBC News |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Chan, a physician and philanthropist, met Zuckerberg while both were students at Harvard. The couple has three children.
Zuckerberg married [[Priscilla Chan]] on May 19, 2012, in a ceremony held in the backyard of their home in Palo Alto, California. The wedding took place the day after Facebook's IPO. Chan, a physician and philanthropist, is co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The couple has three children.<ref name="newyorker" />


In 2015, Zuckerberg and Chan established the [[Chan Zuckerberg Initiative]] (CZI), a limited liability company structured to pursue philanthropic, educational, and scientific goals. Upon its founding, the couple pledged to donate 99 percent of their Facebook shares — valued at approximately $45 billion at the time — over the course of their lifetimes. CZI has since invested in a range of areas, including biomedical research, education technology, and criminal justice reform.
In 2023, Zuckerberg reportedly purchased a large sailing yacht. Video footage of the vessel circulated on social media in early 2026, prompting public discussion about the lifestyles of technology executives.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-21 |title=Video of Mark Zuckerberg's massive yacht sparks backlash: 'Who needs a boat this big?' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/video-mark-zuckerbergs-massive-yacht-050000336.html |work=Yahoo Entertainment |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


As of February 2026, reports indicated that Zuckerberg and Chan were considering the purchase of property on [[Indian Creek Island]] in Florida, prompting speculation about a potential relocation from California.<ref>{{cite news |title=Will Mark Zuckerberg be the latest billionaire to leave California for Florida? |url=https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/real-estate/will-mark-zuckerberg-move-to-florida/ |work=New York Post |date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Zuckerberg maintains properties in multiple locations. In early 2026, reporting indicated he and Chan were considering the purchase of property on Indian Creek Island in [[Florida]], prompting speculation about a potential relocation from California.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-20 |title=Will Mark Zuckerberg be the latest billionaire to leave California for Florida? |url=https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/real-estate/will-mark-zuckerberg-move-to-florida/ |work=New York Post |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Zuckerberg's personal interests have included training in [[mixed martial arts]] and raising cattle on his property in Hawaii. He has been a subject of public discussion for his lifestyle choices, including the ownership of a large yacht that drew commentary on social media in 2026.<ref>{{cite news |title=Video of Mark Zuckerberg's massive yacht sparks backlash: 'Who needs a boat this big?' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/video-mark-zuckerbergs-massive-yacht-050000336.html |work=Yahoo |date=2026-02-21 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Zuckerberg has received an honorary degree from Harvard in 2017, during which he delivered the commencement address at the university's 366th commencement.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-06 |title=Zuckerberg Receives Harvard Honorary Degree |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40053163 |work=BBC News |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Recognition ==
== Recognition ==


Zuckerberg has been the subject of significant media attention and has received multiple forms of recognition for his role in the technology industry.
Zuckerberg has appeared repeatedly on lists of the world's most influential and wealthiest individuals. ''[[Forbes]]'' has consistently ranked him among the world's richest people, with an estimated net worth of US$220 billion as of December 2025.<ref name="forbes" /> In 2008, he was identified as the world's youngest self-made billionaire at age 23.<ref name="forbes" />


In 2010, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' named Zuckerberg its Person of the Year for his impact on global communication and social interaction. The same year, [[David Fincher]]'s film ''[[The Social Network]]'' was released, dramatizing the founding of Facebook and the legal disputes that followed. The film, which starred [[Jesse Eisenberg]] as Zuckerberg, received eight [[Academy Award]] nominations and won three, including Best Adapted Screenplay. While the film was a critical and commercial success, Zuckerberg himself has stated that it did not accurately represent many of the events it portrayed.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Battle for Facebook |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703220456/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21129674/the_battle_for_facebook/ |publisher=Rolling Stone |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In 2010, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' named Zuckerberg its Person of the Year, citing the impact of Facebook on global communication.


In 2017, Harvard University awarded Zuckerberg an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, and he delivered the commencement speech to the graduating class — thirteen years after leaving the university without completing his undergraduate degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=Harvard Awards 10 Honorary Degrees at 366th Commencement |url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/05/harvard-awards-10-honorary-degrees-at-366th-commencement/ |publisher=Harvard Gazette |date=2017-05-25 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
The 2010 film ''[[The Social Network]]'', directed by [[David Fincher]] and written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], dramatized the founding of Facebook and the legal disputes that followed. The film, which starred [[Jesse Eisenberg]] as Zuckerberg, won three [[Academy Awards]] and was nominated for several others, including Best Picture. Zuckerberg has stated that the film's portrayal of his motivations was not accurate.<ref name="newyorker" />


Forbes has consistently ranked Zuckerberg among the wealthiest people in the world. As of December 2025, the publication estimated his net worth at approximately US$220 billion.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg/ |publisher=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
''PC Magazine'' included Zuckerberg in its coverage of notable technology figures during the early growth of Facebook.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1748374,00.asp |publisher=PC Magazine |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Zuckerberg's founding of Facebook fundamentally altered the way people communicate, share information, and interact online. The platform, which grew from a college directory into a service used by billions of people worldwide, reshaped industries including media, advertising, and politics. The company's business model, which relies on targeted advertising informed by user data, became a template adopted across the technology industry.
Mark Zuckerberg's impact on the technology industry, global communication, and the broader cultural landscape is extensive. Facebook, now Meta Platforms, connected billions of users worldwide and helped establish social networking as a fundamental element of internet usage. The platform model Zuckerberg pioneered — a centralized social graph supported by targeted advertising — became the dominant business model for consumer internet companies in the 2010s and 2020s.


At the same time, Zuckerberg's legacy is a subject of considerable debate. The platforms he built have been credited with enabling new forms of social connection, political organizing, and small business marketing. They have also been associated with concerns about the erosion of user privacy, the amplification of misinformation, the mental health effects of social media on young people, and the concentration of power in a small number of technology companies. The February 2026 trial regarding social media addiction among minors represents one of the most consequential legal tests of these concerns to date.
His career has also been central to public debates about the power of technology companies, the responsibilities of platform operators, data privacy, and the effects of social media on mental health, particularly among young people. The ongoing 2026 trial in which Zuckerberg testified represents a potential turning point in how governments regulate social media's impact on minors.<ref name="yahoo-trial" />


His philanthropic commitments through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative represent one of the largest pledged donations in history, though the use of a limited liability company structure — rather than a traditional foundation — has drawn scrutiny from some governance observers who note that the structure provides more flexibility and less transparency than conventional charitable entities.
Through Meta, Zuckerberg has invested heavily in virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. His decision to rebrand the company as Meta in 2021 signaled a long-term commitment to immersive computing, though the financial returns on those investments remain a subject of ongoing analysis.


Zuckerberg's decision to rebrand Facebook as Meta Platforms and invest heavily in virtual and augmented reality technologies signaled an effort to define the next era of computing. The success or failure of this pivot is likely to be a defining element of his long-term business legacy. His increasing focus on artificial intelligence, articulated through public statements in 2025 and 2026, suggests that AI integration across Meta's products and workforce will be a central component of the company's strategy in the coming years.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative represents one of the largest philanthropic commitments in history, though its structure as a limited liability company rather than a traditional foundation has drawn both praise and criticism regarding accountability and transparency.


As both the architect of one of the most widely used technology products in history and a figure at the center of ongoing legal and societal debates about the role of technology in public life, Zuckerberg occupies a singular position in the early 21st-century technology landscape.
Zuckerberg's trajectory — from a college programmer to the head of a company with a market capitalization among the largest in the world — has made him one of the most prominent figures in the history of the technology industry.


== References ==
== References ==
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Latest revision as of 01:43, 24 February 2026

Mark Zuckerberg
BornMark Elliot Zuckerberg
14 5, 1984
BirthplaceWhite Plains, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationTemplate:Flatlist
TitleChairman and CEO of Meta Platforms
Known forCo-founding Facebook and Meta Platforms
EducationHarvard University (dropped out)
Children3
Website[[about.meta.com about.meta.com] Official site]

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (born May 14, 1984) is an American businessman, programmer, and internet entrepreneur who co-founded the social networking service Facebook in 2004 and serves as chairman and chief executive officer of its parent company, Meta Platforms. What began as a college project in a Harvard dormitory room grew into one of the largest technology companies in the world, fundamentally reshaping how billions of people communicate, share information, and interact online. Zuckerberg became the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 2008 at age 23.[1] He has remained a controlling shareholder of Meta Platforms through a dual-class share structure, giving him decisive authority over the company's strategic direction. Alongside his wife, Priscilla Chan, he established the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization. His career has also been marked by significant legal and political scrutiny, including lawsuits over the creation and ownership of Facebook and ongoing controversies regarding user privacy and the platform's effects on younger users. In February 2026, Zuckerberg testified in a landmark trial examining whether social media companies are fueling a teen mental health crisis.[2]

Early Life

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May 14, 1984, in White Plains, New York. He grew up in Dobbs Ferry, New York, in a household that encouraged education and intellectual curiosity. His father, Edward Zuckerberg, is a dentist, and his mother, Karen (née Kempner), is a psychiatrist.[3] He has three sisters: Randi, Donna, and Arielle.

Zuckerberg developed an interest in computers at an early age. His father taught him Atari BASIC programming during his childhood, and later hired software developer David Newman to tutor him privately.[3] While still in middle school, Zuckerberg created a messaging program called "ZuckNet," which allowed computers in the family home and his father's dental office to communicate with each other — a rudimentary form of instant messaging that the family used internally before commercial products like AOL Instant Messenger became widely available.[4]

During his years at Ardsley High School and later at Phillips Exeter Academy, Zuckerberg continued to develop software projects. He and a friend, Adam D'Angelo, built a music player called Synapse Media Player that used machine learning to learn users' listening habits. The software attracted interest from technology companies, including AOL and Microsoft, both of which reportedly sought to acquire the program and hire Zuckerberg, though he declined.[3] The project was posted on Slashdot, a technology news site, where it received positive attention.[5] Zuckerberg's early programming activities demonstrated both technical skill and an inclination toward building tools for social interaction and user behavior analysis, themes that would come to define his later work.

Before attending Harvard, Zuckerberg had already explored the idea of building online social tools. According to reporting by ReadWriteWeb, his inspiration for social networking predated his arrival at the university.[6]

Education

Zuckerberg enrolled at Harvard University in 2002, where he studied computer science and psychology.[3] At Harvard, he quickly gained a reputation as a skilled programmer. In his sophomore year, he created a website called Facemash, which allowed students to compare the attractiveness of their classmates using photos pulled from university directories. The site generated controversy and was shut down by the Harvard administration, which raised concerns about privacy violations and unauthorized use of student data.[7]

The Facemash episode presaged both the appeal and the controversy that would surround Zuckerberg's later ventures. In February 2004, while still a sophomore, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook" from his Harvard dormitory room.[4] He left Harvard shortly thereafter to focus on growing the company and did not complete his undergraduate degree at that time.

In 2017, Harvard awarded Zuckerberg an honorary degree. He delivered the commencement address at the university's 366th graduation ceremony.[8][9]

Career

Founding of Facebook

On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook" from his Harvard dormitory. He co-founded the site with his roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.[4] The website was initially limited to Harvard students, requiring a harvard.edu email address to register. It spread rapidly through the campus, and within weeks it had expanded to other Ivy League universities and then to additional colleges and universities across the United States.

The founding of Facebook was not without dispute. Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, three Harvard students who had been developing a social networking concept called HarvardConnection (later ConnectU), alleged that Zuckerberg had been hired to help build their platform and instead used their ideas to create Facebook. The dispute led to a protracted legal battle. In 2008, a federal judge ruled on the case, effectively ending the initial phase of the litigation.[10] The Winklevoss twins ultimately received a settlement reportedly valued at $65 million, which grew substantially in value. By 2012, when Facebook went public, the Winklevoss twins' stake from the settlement was estimated to be worth roughly $300 million.[11]

During this early period, Zuckerberg was also reported to have accessed the accounts of Harvard Crimson reporters who were investigating him, using login data from Facebook's servers.[12] This incident later contributed to scrutiny over his approach to user data and privacy.

Growth and IPO

After leaving Harvard, Zuckerberg moved Facebook's operations to Palo Alto, California. The company attracted early investment from Peter Thiel and later from Accel Partners, fueling rapid expansion. Facebook's user base grew from a college-only network to a platform open to anyone aged 13 and older. By the mid-2000s, Facebook had become the dominant social networking platform in the United States and was expanding globally.

Zuckerberg's approach to managing the company was shaped by his desire to maintain control over its direction. He instituted a dual-class share structure that gave him majority voting power even as external investors acquired economic stakes in the company. This governance structure has remained a defining feature of the company.

A profile of Zuckerberg and the company published by Rolling Stone in 2006 explored the intense competition within the technology industry for control of social networking and the personal dynamics behind Facebook's rapid rise.[13]

In 2007, Facebook launched the Facebook Platform, allowing third-party developers to build applications that operated within the social network. Reporting by The Wall Street Journal covered the strategic implications of this move, which helped cement Facebook's position as a central hub of online activity.[14]

On May 18, 2012, Facebook held its initial public offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ stock exchange, with a peak market capitalization of over $104 billion — the largest valuation at that time for a newly listed public company. Zuckerberg retained majority control of the company's voting shares through the offering.[1]

Expansion and Rebranding to Meta

Under Zuckerberg's leadership, the company pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, purchasing Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, among other companies. These acquisitions significantly expanded the company's reach and user base, making it one of the most influential technology conglomerates in the world.

In October 2021, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook, Inc. would be renamed to Meta Platforms, reflecting a strategic pivot toward building the "metaverse" — an interconnected set of virtual and augmented reality experiences. The rebranding came amid intensifying criticism of the company related to content moderation, misinformation, and the internal research documents leaked by former employee Frances Haugen.

Zuckerberg has also directed significant company resources toward artificial intelligence. In January 2026, he stated that AI tools were enabling individual employees at Meta to accomplish work that previously required entire teams, signaling a shift in the company's hiring strategy and approach to workforce development.[15]

Meta's hardware division has developed products including the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which combine camera functionality with AI-powered features. The glasses drew public attention in February 2026 when members of Zuckerberg's entourage wore them into a courtroom during a trial, prompting a rebuke from the presiding judge over the no-recording policy.[16][17] The incident raised questions about the social norms surrounding wearable recording devices in sensitive environments.[18]

Legal Challenges and Regulatory Scrutiny

Throughout his career, Zuckerberg and Meta have faced extensive legal and regulatory challenges. The early lawsuit by the Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra was the first of many legal disputes concerning the company.

Privacy and data handling have been recurring points of contention. The company's practices with user data led to scrutiny by government agencies in the United States and abroad. Zuckerberg has appeared before the United States Congress on multiple occasions to testify about Facebook's handling of user data, its role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on democracy and public discourse.

In February 2026, Zuckerberg took the stand as a witness in a landmark trial examining allegations that social media platforms, including those operated by Meta, are designed in ways that are addictive to children and teenagers. During his testimony, Zuckerberg stated that the company's algorithm was not intentionally designed to be addictive for younger users.[2] The trial, which could result in billions of dollars in potential liability for technology companies, was closely watched by regulators, parents' advocacy groups, and the technology industry.[19]

Philanthropy and Other Ventures

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, established the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) in December 2015, pledging to donate 99% of their Facebook shares — then valued at approximately $45 billion — over their lifetimes. The CZI is structured as a limited liability company rather than a traditional charitable foundation, allowing it to invest in for-profit companies, make political donations, and lobby for legislation in addition to making charitable grants.

In 2016, Zuckerberg joined the Breakthrough Starshot initiative, a $100 million research program to develop technology for sending small space probes to the Alpha Centauri star system. The project, also backed by physicist Stephen Hawking and investor Yuri Milner, aims to use laser-propelled light sails to reach nearby stars within a human generation.[20]

Personal Life

Zuckerberg married Priscilla Chan on May 19, 2012, in a ceremony held in the backyard of their home in Palo Alto, California. The wedding took place the day after Facebook's IPO. Chan, a physician and philanthropist, is co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The couple has three children.[3]

In 2023, Zuckerberg reportedly purchased a large sailing yacht. Video footage of the vessel circulated on social media in early 2026, prompting public discussion about the lifestyles of technology executives.[21]

Zuckerberg maintains properties in multiple locations. In early 2026, reporting indicated he and Chan were considering the purchase of property on Indian Creek Island in Florida, prompting speculation about a potential relocation from California.[22]

Zuckerberg has received an honorary degree from Harvard in 2017, during which he delivered the commencement address at the university's 366th commencement.[23]

Recognition

Zuckerberg has appeared repeatedly on lists of the world's most influential and wealthiest individuals. Forbes has consistently ranked him among the world's richest people, with an estimated net worth of US$220 billion as of December 2025.[1] In 2008, he was identified as the world's youngest self-made billionaire at age 23.[1]

In 2010, Time named Zuckerberg its Person of the Year, citing the impact of Facebook on global communication.

The 2010 film The Social Network, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, dramatized the founding of Facebook and the legal disputes that followed. The film, which starred Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, won three Academy Awards and was nominated for several others, including Best Picture. Zuckerberg has stated that the film's portrayal of his motivations was not accurate.[3]

PC Magazine included Zuckerberg in its coverage of notable technology figures during the early growth of Facebook.[24]

Legacy

Mark Zuckerberg's impact on the technology industry, global communication, and the broader cultural landscape is extensive. Facebook, now Meta Platforms, connected billions of users worldwide and helped establish social networking as a fundamental element of internet usage. The platform model Zuckerberg pioneered — a centralized social graph supported by targeted advertising — became the dominant business model for consumer internet companies in the 2010s and 2020s.

His career has also been central to public debates about the power of technology companies, the responsibilities of platform operators, data privacy, and the effects of social media on mental health, particularly among young people. The ongoing 2026 trial in which Zuckerberg testified represents a potential turning point in how governments regulate social media's impact on minors.[2]

Through Meta, Zuckerberg has invested heavily in virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. His decision to rebrand the company as Meta in 2021 signaled a long-term commitment to immersive computing, though the financial returns on those investments remain a subject of ongoing analysis.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative represents one of the largest philanthropic commitments in history, though its structure as a limited liability company rather than a traditional foundation has drawn both praise and criticism regarding accountability and transparency.

Zuckerberg's trajectory — from a college programmer to the head of a company with a market capitalization among the largest in the world — has made him one of the most prominent figures in the history of the technology industry.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Mark Zuckerberg".Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Mark Zuckerberg Grilled in Social Media Addiction Trial That Could Cost Platforms Billions".Yahoo News.2026-02-21.https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mark-zuckerberg-grilled-social-media-200423259.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 VargasJose AntonioJose Antonio"The Face of Facebook".The New Yorker.2010-09-20.https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "How Facebook Was Founded".Business Insider.https://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-was-founded-2010-3#we-can-talk-about-that-after-i-get-all-the-basic-functionality-up-tomorrow-night-1.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  5. ↑ "Synapse Media Player".Slashdot.2003-04-21.http://slashdot.org/articles/03/04/21/110236.shtml.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  6. ↑ "Mark Zuckerberg: Inspiration for Facebook Before Harvard".ReadWriteWeb (archived).https://web.archive.org/web/20120201185222/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/mark_zuckerberg_inspiration_for_facebook_before_harvard.php.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  7. ↑ "TheFacebook.com's Darker Side".The Stanford Daily (archived).2004-03-10.https://web.archive.org/web/20100614061858/http://www.stanforddaily.com/2004/03/10/thefacebookcoms-darker-side/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  8. ↑ "Harvard Awards 10 Honorary Degrees at 366th Commencement".Harvard Gazette.2017-05.http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/05/harvard-awards-10-honorary-degrees-at-366th-commencement/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  9. ↑ "Mark Zuckerberg Finally Got His Harvard Degree".USA Today.2017-05-25.https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2017/05/25/mark-zuckerberg-finally-got-his-harvard-degree/37432061/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  10. ↑ "Judge Ends Facebook's Feud With ConnectU".The New York Times.2008-06-26.http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/judge-ends-facebooks-feud-with-connectu/index.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  11. ↑ "Facebook IPO Could Give Winklevoss Twins $300m Fortune".The Guardian.2012-02-02.https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/feb/02/facebook-ipo-winklevoss-300m-fortune.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  12. ↑ "How Mark Zuckerberg Hacked Into the Harvard Crimson".Business Insider.http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-hacked-into-the-harvard-crimson-2010-3.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  13. ↑ "The Battle for Facebook".Rolling Stone (archived).https://web.archive.org/web/20080703220456/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21129674/the_battle_for_facebook/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  14. ↑ "Facebook Platform".The Wall Street Journal.2007-07.https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118539991204578084.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  15. ↑ "Zuckerberg Says AI Is Letting One Employee Do the Work of Entire Teams".Business Insider.2026-01.https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-says-ai-letting-one-employee-do-work-of-teams-2026-1.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  16. ↑ "Mark Zuckerberg's entourage threatened with contempt for wearing Meta AI glasses into a no-recording courtroom".Fortune.2026-02-20.https://fortune.com/2026/02/20/mark-zuckerbergs-contempt-of-court-meta-glasses-courtroom-trial-social-media-addiction/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  17. ↑ "Judge Blasts Zuckerberg's Team Over Bonkers Courtroom Antics".The Daily Beast.2026-02-20.https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-blasts-mark-zuckerbergs-team-over-bonkers-courtroom-antics/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  18. ↑ "Did Meta Just Accidentally Prove Smart Glasses Are a Liability?".Gizmodo.2026-02-23.https://gizmodo.com/did-meta-just-accidentally-prove-smart-glasses-are-a-liability-2000725585.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  19. ↑ "Mark Zuckerberg faces a jury today".NPR.2026-02-18.https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/g-s1-110537/up-first-newsletter-cbs-anderson-cooper-mark-zuckerberg-iran-nuclear-program-dhs-tricia.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  20. ↑ "Mark Zuckerberg Joins $100 Million Initiative to Send Tiny Space Probes to Explore Alpha Centauri".Newsweek.2016.https://www.newsweek.com/mark-zuckerberg-joins-100-million-initiative-send-tiny-space-probes-explore-447513.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  21. ↑ "Video of Mark Zuckerberg's massive yacht sparks backlash: 'Who needs a boat this big?'".Yahoo Entertainment.2026-02-21.https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/video-mark-zuckerbergs-massive-yacht-050000336.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  22. ↑ "Will Mark Zuckerberg be the latest billionaire to leave California for Florida?".New York Post.2026-02-20.https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/real-estate/will-mark-zuckerberg-move-to-florida/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  23. ↑ "Zuckerberg Receives Harvard Honorary Degree".BBC News.2017-06.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40053163.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  24. ↑ "Mark Zuckerberg".PC Magazine.https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1748374,00.asp.Retrieved 2026-02-23.

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