It was one week ago when Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan welcomed the birth of their first child, a daughter named Max, per BBC. The new dad made the announcement in a Facebook post Wednesday, but along with this, Mark also shared another important message.
In a post entitled "A letter to our daughter," the tech genius said that in their desire as parents to provide a better future for Max. He and his wife are giving 99 percent of their Facebook shares to charity, specifically to the Chan Zuckerburg Foundation. The charity's main thrust is in "advancing human potential and promoting equality," with a focus on personalized learning, curing diseases like cancer or stroke, building strong communities and connecting people.
The shares Mark speaks of are currently valued at $45 billion, which the honcho said is "is a small contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working on these issues."
Law and public policy professor Joel Fleishman told The Guardian that Mark's move could soon inspire other super-rich people to do the same. "People who've made all that money are by nature competitive; someone that young giving away that much money will undoubtedly stimulate others to do likewise."
Per New York Times, Mark's declaration is also indicative of what's going on among young billionaires in Silicon Valley. They have apparently been increasingly interested in philanthropy. The news outlet also reported that Mark's filing of the securities for his stocks indicated that he plans "to sell or gift no more than $1 billion of Facebook stock each year for the next three years."
This is not the first time the Zuckerberg couple have made bold moves in the name of charity. Only recently, Mark and Priscilla teamed up with Bill Gates to launch the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, as reported by Parent Herald.
The Zuckerbergs announced their pregnancy back in July and also revealed that they have suffered three miscarriages in the past. Then in November, Mark announced he was taking a two-month paternity leave once the baby is born, as Parent Herald reported. Priscilla is also going on maternity leave from her work as a pediatrician at The Primary School, the private institution she established with her husband this year, per CNN Money.
"Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future," the first-time father wrote for her daughter. "You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in," he added.
