Under the leadership of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook continues to thrive. The social network boasted 1.65 billion monthly users as of March 2016, up 15% from a year earlier. The company, which Zuckerberg cofounded in 2004 when he was 19, has invested heavily in virtual reality, artificial intelligence and improving global Web access. Nearly two years after buying virtual reality startup Oculus, Facebook began shipping the Rift VR headset in March 2016.
In December 2015, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla
Chan, pledged to give 99% of their Facebook stock to causes benefiting the
public interest during their lifetimes. Through the newly formed Chan
Zuckerberg Initiative, they plan to fund charities, companies and policies that
"advance human potential and promote equality." The venture's first
investment, in June 2016, was in Andela, a startup that trains African engineers
for jobs in the tech industry. Zuckerberg became a father for the first time in
December 2015 and has taken to posting photos of milestones with his daughter,
Max, on Facebook.
· FACT FILE
- Real Time Net Worth As of 9/2/16: $54.4 Billion
- Cofounder, Chairman and CEO, Facebook
Age: 32
Source Of Wealth: Facebook, Self Made
Residence: Palo Alto, CA
Citizenship: United States
Marital Status: Married
Education: Drop Out, Harvard University