President Zuckerberg? It seems unlikely
There has been a lot of speculation lately that Zuck is planning a bid for the presidency at some point in the future, perhaps as soon as 2020 or 2024. Between the news about Facebook restructuring stock so Zuck can sell his shares to fund he and his wife’s initiative (and still maintain control over Facebook), the fact he recently found religion, and his latest new year challenge: to meet and talk to people in all 50 states.
I mean, yeah, at first glance I can see where it seems like he’s making some moves to possibly step into public service. But at the same time, these bits of news can also be explained another way.
The restructuring of stock is the most straightforward of them all. He needs to fund the Chan Zuckerberg initiative so they can hire people and work on progressing in science and medicine, etc.
The fact he recently found religion is interesting, but then again, he recently became a father, so that could possibly explain it too.
His new year challenge aligns with the core fundamentals of Facebook itself — to make the world more open and connected. If he connects with people all across the country, it may very well inspire him in ways he wouldn’t otherwise be inspired sitting in his fishbowl conference room at Facebook HQ.
I’m not alone in my thoughts that all this Zuck for president thing isn’t ever going to happen. NY Times reporter Mike Isaac doesn’t think Zuckerberg will run for office either.
i will continue to push back on the assumption that zuckerberg will one day run for office and/or these steps are plans to do so
— ಠ_ಠ (@MikeIsaac) January 10, 2017
Zuck can have a much greater impact on the world as a private citizen through Facebook and his initiative than he ever could as president. The presidency is actually a very limited office, most things a president will want to accomplish need to be passed through Congress and as we know that can be very difficult. A president’s most important must-have skill is the power to persuade people to see why a particular point of view/idea is the right one for the country and then get Congress to mobilize around it to pass a bill.
Based on what I’ve read and having listened to Zuck at countless events and conferences, I think he, like some other successful entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk (who cannot run for president since he is not a U.S. born citizen) and Bill Gates, has a more global (or in Elon’s case, other-worldly) agenda. I just don’t see the presidency as the path for Zuck to carry out his mission.
Perhaps the best example of this is Bill Gates. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has done groundbreaking work to help cure diseases, vaccinate people, among other things. By putting their resources to work as private citizens, Bill and Melinda have been able to enact real world change for the better.
I also truly believe that Elon Musk’s work with Tesla, Space X, and Solar City will result in unprecedented benefits for the human race, though, it may take another several years for those to start to be truly realized.
So, will we have President Zuckerberg? Nah.
(i will also happily eat crow if i am proved wrong)
— ಠ_ಠ (@MikeIsaac) January 10, 2017
Me too, Mike. Me too.