Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have
welcomed their first child – a baby girl called Max but that’s not all. The
couple in an open letter to the adorable baby also pledged to donate 99% of
their Facebook shares currently valued at $45 billion. The family will now be left with $450 million.
Read a letter titled, ‘A letter to our
daughter’ addressed to Max.
welcomed their first child – a baby girl called Max but that’s not all. The
couple in an open letter to the adorable baby also pledged to donate 99% of
their Facebook shares currently valued at $45 billion. The family will now be left with $450 million.
Read a letter titled, ‘A letter to our
daughter’ addressed to Max.
Dear Max,
‘Your mother and I don’t
yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future. Your new
life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can
explore it fully. You’ve already given us a reason to reflect on the world we
hope you live in. ‘Like all parents, we
want you to grow up in a world better than ours today,’ it says. ‘While
headlines often focus on what’s wrong, in many ways the world is getting
better. Health is improving. Poverty is shrinking. Knowledge is growing. People
are connecting. Technological progress in every field means your life should be
dramatically better than ours today.
yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future. Your new
life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can
explore it fully. You’ve already given us a reason to reflect on the world we
hope you live in. ‘Like all parents, we
want you to grow up in a world better than ours today,’ it says. ‘While
headlines often focus on what’s wrong, in many ways the world is getting
better. Health is improving. Poverty is shrinking. Knowledge is growing. People
are connecting. Technological progress in every field means your life should be
dramatically better than ours today.
‘We will do our part to make this happen, not only because we love you, but
also because we have a moral responsibility to all children in the next
generation. We believe all lives have equal value, and that includes the many
more people who will live in future generations than live today. Our society
has an obligation to invest now to improve the lives of all those coming into
this world, not just those already here.
‘As you begin the next
generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg
Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and
promote equality for all children in the next generation. Our initial areas of
focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and
building strong communities.
generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg
Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and
promote equality for all children in the next generation. Our initial areas of
focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and
building strong communities.
‘We will give 99% of our Facebook shares — currently about $45 billion —
during our lives to advance this mission,’ ‘We know this is a small
contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working
on these issues. But we want to do what we can, working alongside many others. We’ll
share more details in the coming months once we settle into our new family
rhythm and return from our maternity and paternity leaves. We understand you’ll
have many questions about why and how we’re doing this.’