In 2007, at the age of 23, Mark Zuckerberg – who was raised in a Reform Jewish home in Dobbs Ferry, NY – became the youngest self-made billionaire. In May 2023 his net worth was estimated at $85 billion, making him the 14th richest person in the world. The internet entrepreneur, business magnate, philanthropist and Harvard drop-out is the co-founder of Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms, as well as the Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and controlling shareholder of Meta. In addition to being recognized as one of the most influential people in the world four times (and nominated as a finalist nine times), Zuckerberg was named “Person of the Year” by Time Magazine in 2010, and he was tenth on the Forbes list of “The World’s Most Powerful People” in 2016.
In 2010 Zuckerberg signed “The Giving Pledge” with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Those committing to the pledge agreed to donate at least half of their wealth to charity during their lifetime. Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, created the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and they have pledged to transfer 99% of their Facebook shares to the Initiative.
Zuckerberg and Chan, who is Chinese, are parents to daughters Maxima, August and Aurelia. The couple put their own take on traditional Jewish rituals. On Friday nights, the family has friends for Friday night dinner, and Chan serves both kosher food and Asian dishes. At bedtime, Zuckerberg recites a Jewish prayer in Mandarin for his daughters. He also teaches the young girls how to code – he is Mark Zuckerberg, after all!
The family’s dog, Beast, is a Puli, which is a kind of Hungarian Sheepdog. Not surprisingly for a dog whose human dad founded Facebook, Beast has his own Facebook page, where he has shared that his interests include: “herding things, cuddling, loving and eating.” Beast hasn’t posted since 2016, though he has over two million followers. His dad Mark does post pictures of Beast on his own Facebook page, as well as on Instagram, which he also owns.
