Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of a multi-billion dollar company, is finally going to get his Harvard degree. It comes nearly 12 years after he decided to drop out of college to create Facebook.
Zuckerberg is returning to his former school to address the graduating class of 2017 on May 25. It is customary for graduation speakers to receive an honorary degree, according to Harvard Magazine.
"Mark Zuckerberg's leadership has profoundly altered the nature of social engagement worldwide," Harvard President Drew Faust said in a statement, according to Harvard Gazette. "Few inventions in modern times can rival Facebook in its far-reaching impact on how people around the globe interact with one another," Faust added. He also commended Zuckerberg for his "commitment to advance science, enhance education, and expand opportunity through the pursuit of philanthropy."
Zuckerberg got into Harvard in 2002 as a computer science student. He left college during his sophomore year after his venture for what was then called "thefacebook.com" took off.
The platform was initially meant for Harvard students' use but it became popular with other Ivy League colleges around the Boston area. Investors took interest on its potential and Zuckerberg rebranded the social site to become one of the internet's biggest life-changing inventions. The rest, as they say, is history.
To prepare for his speech, Zuckerberg sought advice from a fellow Harvard dropout and Silicon Valley powerhouse, Bill Gates. The Microsoft founder was also in the same position as Zuckerberg 10 years ago when he got asked to speak to the graduates. Watch Gates and Zuckerberg talk about their Harvard return in the video below.
Apart from creating Facebook, Zuckerberg is also the founder of the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative along with his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan. This company provides grants and investments in science programs that aim to find cures for diseases that plague the children's future.
The couple, who dated all throughout their years in college, married in 2012. They welcomed their first child Maxima in 2015.
