Critics of Mark Zuckerberg should consider taking the day, week, month, year, or even decade off. Zuckerberg, whose net worth was calculated to be $6.9 billion as of September, has pledged to donate the majority of his fortune to charity.
Zuckerberg did this by taking the Giving Pledge, something organized by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates. The simple (and official) explanation is that it’s "an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy."
Zuckerberg reasoned in a statement, "People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done? With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts."
This act establishes a definite pattern of non-greedy behavior on Zuckerberg’s part. The CEO of Facebook is known for favoring t-shirts over tailored suits. He drives an Acura TSX rather than an Italian sports car, and at least until recently, lived in a modest rented house.
Plus, in September, Zuckerberg volunteered to give $100 million to New Jersey public schools.
A round of applause for Facebook’s CEO, then. And while you’re at it: other people who just took the Giving Pledge include Carl Icahn and Dustin Moskovitz.
