Mark Zuckerberg welcomes second daughter in Facebook post

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife welcomed their second daughter -- August -- to the world on Monday with a post on the leading social network.

As they did with after the birth of their first daughter, Maxima, in late 2015, the couple wrote the girl a letter, but this one spoke of reveling in the wonder of childhood instead of visions of a better world on the horizon.

"You only get to be a child once, so don't spend it worrying too much about the future," said the letter signed by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.

"You've got us for that, and we'll do everything we possibly can to make sure the world is a better place for you and all children in your generation."

A Zuckerberg Chan Initiative established by the couple has pledged billions of dollars to improving life for their children's generation with goals such as eliminating disease.

The Facebook co-founder is among billionaires who have vowed to donate most of their wealth to charitable causes.

"With all the advances in science and technology, your generation should live dramatically better lives than ours, and we have a responsibility to do our part to make that happen," the couple wrote, referring back to a letter written to their first daughter after her birth.

"But rather than write about growing up, we want to talk about childhood. The world can be a serious place. That's why it's important to make time to go outside and play."

And, like many parents, they expressed hope their new baby would sleep soundly and take frequent naps.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Who made it to Time's 100 Most Influential People 2016 list

Time magazine has released its 13th annual list of 100 most influential people in the world.

Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio, rapper Nicki Minaj, Indian actress Priyanka Chopra and Lin-Manuel Miranda of Broadway's "Hamilton" all made it to the list, gracing their individual covers.

Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan were also among this year's most influential people, long with Adele, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Caitlyn Jenner, and Idris Elba.

Time editor Nancy Gibbs said these people made the list for showing the world what they're capable of and for breaking boundaries.

-ANC's News Now, April 22, 2016

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Mark Zuckerberg boasts he can change a nappy in 20 seconds

BERLIN, Germany - Facebook founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg, whose first child was born in November, on Thursday boasted that he could change a nappy in 20 seconds.

"I am competitive guy, I time myself to get and better, and I got down to 20 seconds," the 31-year-old told an audience in Berlin where he was receiving an award from German publisher Axel Springer.

"The trick is to slide the new diaper under the old one," he added.

Zuckerberg's Facebook page, which is "followed" by more than 43 million people, regularly features pictures of him with his wife Priscilla Chan, baby daughter Maxima and pet dog Beast. He has also posted a photo of him changing nappies.

Despite his massive wealth, Zuckerberg -- depicted in the Hollywood drama "The Social Network" as a socially challenged computer geek -- still turns up at the office in a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers, topped off by his trademark hooded sweatshirt.

Touching on his famously dressed-down style he added: "I have colored ones (t-shirts) too but I wear them only the weekend."

As they announced the birth of their daughter in December, Zuckerberg and his wife said they would give away 99 percent of their shares in Facebook -- valued at some $45 billion -- in a philanthropy initiative "to improve the lives of all those coming into this world".

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Zuckerberg: from Harvard dropout to Silicon Valley legend

SAN FRANCISCO, United States -Mark Zuckerberg has grown from a Harvard dropout who changed what it means to be social into a billionaire philanthropist bent on shaping a better world for his daughter.

Zuckerberg and his doctor wife, Priscilla Chan, set the Internet abuzz this week with news of the birth of their first child, a girl named Maxima.

Zuckerberg and Chan also pledged to give away their Facebook fortune to make the world a "better place" for baby daughter Maxima and others.

In a letter to Maxima posted on his Facebook page, the couple said they were going to give away 99 percent of their company shares -- estimated value $45 billion -- during their lives in an effort to make a happy and healthy world.

Zuckerberg cemented his fortune, and a place in Silicon Valley history, by leading Facebook to a historic Wall Street debut in 2012. Facebook shares on Wednesday were trading at nearly triple the initial public offering price of $38.

The $16 billion IPO was structured to keep control of Facebook in the hands of Zuckerberg, who has been Time's "Person of the Year" and cracked the Forbes list of 20 richest people in the world.

The hoodie-wearing 31-year-old, depicted in the Hollywood drama "The Social Network" as a socially challenged computer geek, has evolved into a confident chief executive presiding over an online community boasting more than 1.5 billion users monthly as of September.

Despite his massive wealth, Zuckerberg still favors t-shirts, jeans and sneakers, topped off by his trademark hooded sweatshirt and a mop of brown, curly hair.

He has donned suits, though, while meeting with high-profile figures such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama.

Zuckerberg is known for setting annual goals, which have included wearing ties every day; only eating meat of animals he kills himself; and learning to speak Chinese to be able to chat with members of his wife's family who speak that language.

He has grown more outspoken socially and politically. Zuckerberg has marched with hundreds of Facebook employees in San Francisco's grand Gay Pride Parade and publicly backed US immigration reform.

Quotes credited to Zuckerberg included "What would you do if you weren't afraid" and "Move fast and break things."

Zuckerberg is known for advocating a "hacker way" of boldly twisting software or systems in promising directions.

- Thefacebook -
Born on May 14, 1984, Zuckerberg was raised in Dobbs Ferry outside New York, one of four children of a dentist father and a psychiatrist mother.

He began writing computer programs at the age of 11, including one said to resemble Pandora's musical taste program which reportedly drew the interest of AOL and Microsoft.

He went to high school at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was captain of the fencing team, before entering elite Harvard University.

Zuckerberg launched Thefacebook.com, as it was then known, from his dorm room on February 4, 2004 with some of his roommates and classmates.

The stated goal: "Making the world more open and connected."

Facebook's early years were not without controversy, however.

In 2008, a $65 million settlement was reached with three Harvard classmates -- twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra -- over their charges that Zuckerberg had stolen the idea for Facebook from them.

The conflict was at the heart of "The Social Network," the Oscar-winning film written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher.

Zuckerberg left Harvard in May 2004 for Silicon Valley, where he received his first major funding -- $500,000 -- from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel followed by nearly $13 million the next year from Accel Partners.

Despite recurring privacy complaints, Facebook has gone from strength to strength. Analysts credit the social network with innovating, or acquiring new technology, to stay popular in an Internet Age known for fleeting loyalties to online services.

Zuckerberg's Facebook page, which is "followed" by more than 43 million people, features pictures of his wife and daughter, along with their dog, Beast.

"Having this child has made us think about all of the things that should be improved in the world for her whole generation," Zuckerberg said in a video of himself and Chan posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

His "likes" include charities such as his newly formed Zuckerberg Chan Initiative; US politicians Obama and Hillary Clinton, actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, and the book "Ender's Game."

Zuckerberg has been referred to by some as being struck in the mold of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Zuckerberg has praised Jobs as a friend and a role model.

Similarities between the men have been said to include not being afraid to risk falling down while chasing big dreams, and passionately pursuing visions despite obstacles or detractors.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Facebook's CEO and wife to give 99 pct of shares to charity

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Mark Zuckerberg will put 99 percent of his Facebook Inc shares, currently worth about $45 billion, into a new philanthropy project focusing on human potential and equality, he and his wife said Tuesday in a letter to their newborn daughter.

The plan, which was posted on the Facebook founder and chief executive officer's page, attracted more than 570,000 "likes," including from singer Shakira, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The Gates and other high-profile billionaires such as Warren Buffett have set up foundations of their own to dedicate their massive fortunes to philanthropic endeavors.

Zuckerberg, 31, who will control the new initiative jointly with his wife, Priscilla Chan, while remaining in charge of the world's largest online social network, said he would sell or give up to $1 billion in shares in each of the next three years.

Zuckerberg will keep a controlling stake in Facebook, valued at $303 billion as of Tuesday's close, for what the company called the "foreseeable future." According to Facebook's most recent proxy statement, Zuckerberg owned 4 million Class A shares and 422.3 million Class B shares, which have 10 times the voting power of A shares. Combined he held 54 percent of the voting power of the company's shares.

Zuckerberg said he plans to remain CEO of Facebook for "many, many years to come."

Zuckerberg's new project, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is not his first in the world of philanthropy. When he was 26, he signed the Giving Pledge, which invites the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes over their lifetime or in their will.

"Mark and Priscilla are breaking the mold with this breathtaking commitment," Buffett said on Facebook. "A combination of brains, passion and resources on this scale will change the lives of millions. On behalf of future generations, I thank them."

Melinda Gates chimed in, "The first word that comes to mind is: Wow. The example you're setting today is an inspiration to us and the world."

Buffett himself pledged shares of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc company that were then worth $31 billion to Gates' foundation in 2006, and at the time ranked as the largest single gift.

A YOUNG PHILANTHROPIST

Zuckerberg is relatively young to commit so much of his wealth. Microsoft Corp co-founder Gates was 45 in 2000, the year he and his wife founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett was 76 in 2006 when he committed to give away all of his Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropic organizations.

About $350 billion is given away each year in the United States by charities, said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She said Zuckerberg and his wife's announcement was remarkable not just because of the size of the donation, but because of their ages.

"Our lists of the top donors are usually dominated by people in their 70s or 80s," she said. "This is a message to other young people who are deciding what to do with their great wealth."

In welcoming the birth of his first child on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself, his wife and their daughter, Maxima, nicknamed Max, along with a post entitled "A letter to our daughter." (http://on.fb.me/1MVnGOj)

In the 2,220-word letter, Zuckerberg and Chan, a pediatrician, touched on issues including health, education, Internet access and learning before announcing the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which aims to "advance human potential and promote equality."

They plan to give away 99 percent of their Facebook shares over their lifetimes to advance the initiative, which was formed as a limited liability company. It will begin by focusing on curing disease, Internet connectivity, community building and personalized learning - the idea that technology can help students learn at different paces.

Maxima Chan Zuckerberg was born early last week - though Facebook did not specify her birth date - and weighed 7 lbs 8 ounces (3.4 kg) at birth. Last month, Zuckerberg announced he would take two months of paternity leave after the birth.

Chan and Zuckerberg have so far committed $1.6 billion to their philanthropy. They have given several donations this year, including to public schools, initiatives to bring better wireless Internet access and to San Francisco General Hospital, where Chan works as a pediatrician.

Zuckerberg and Chan said they will share more details when they return from their maternity and paternity leaves.

Zuckerberg has started his leave, a Facebook representative said, and will be available if "absolutely needed." Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer, and Mike Schroepfer, chief technology officer, will run the company in Zuckerberg's absence.

(Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Abhirup Roy in Bengaluru; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Stephen R. Trousdale, Bill Rigby, Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Zuckerbergs share news: baby girl on the way

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla, revealed on Friday that their first child is on the way after a series of miscarriages.

"We're expecting a baby girl!" Zuckerberg said in a post on his page at the leading social network.

"In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up 'like' with her hand, so I'm already convinced she takes after me."

Zuckerberg revealed in that he and his wife have been trying to have a child for a couple of years during which she had three miscarriages. He said the couple opened up about the painful experience to give others in similar situations reason to hope.

"It's a lonely experience," Zuckerberg said.

"Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you -- as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own."

Priscilla's pregnancy was far enough along that the risk of loss is low, according to Zuckerberg.

"Cilla and our child are both healthy, I'm extremely excited to meet her and our dog Beast has no idea what's coming," Zuckerberg said in the post, which was signed off on by his wife.

"We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world -- Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Facebook's Zuckerberg created 'thank you' video for wife

MANILA, Philippines - The usually private Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg surprised many on Friday when he posted a video featuring photos of him and his wife Priscilla Chan on the popular social network.


The 1-minute video featured photos of the couple, and accompanied by a short status message from Zuckerberg.

"I met an amazing girl on this day exactly 11 years ago. Priscilla, thank you for keeping me grounded, and for helping me keep my sense of wonder about the world as we grow together," he said.

The sweet but short video turned out to be Zuckerberg's way of promoting Facebook's new video feature called "Say Thanks."

The new video tool allows users to create personalized video cards for their friends, using the photos and posts they have shared on Facebook.

The videos can be shared on one's timeline, as well as the friend's timeline. It also has privacy controls to control who watches the video.

Last year, Facebook created the "Look Back" video for its users last year. The Look Back video features top moments from a user's Facebook profile in the last 10 years. It was a success, with around 200 million users watching their videos.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Facebook founder pumping $120-M into SF schools

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg put out word late Thursday that he and his wife Priscilla Chan are pumping $120 million into San Francisco Bay Area schools.

Distribution of the money will be spread over five years, with initial grants going toward initiatives for providing computers and Internet access in public schools as well as training teachers and enlisting parents in efforts to keep students on track.

"The Bay Area is one of the most prosperous places in the world, but there so many schools here that don't have the resources they need," Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook page.

"Improving public education in our country and our community is something Priscilla and I really care about, and we want to change this."

Part of the focus for grant money from his Startup: Education fund will be to start new district and charter schools that provide high quality education.

About four years ago Zuckerberg channeled $100 million to improve schools in the New Jersey city of Newark. He noted in his post that much of the work started in Newark is still in progress.

"The investments we've made are a drop in the bucket compared to the challenges schools face," Zuckerberg said.

"But we've seen that targeted investments can be catalysts for much bigger changes in communities."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com