Mark Zuckerberg is a name that is synonymous with social networking and he is now 40 years old. Although he wasn't the first person to dream up the idea of a social network, he popularized it like no one before him, bringing Facebook to billions of users worldwide.
Since launching Facebook in 2004 at Harvard University, Zuckerberg has evolved Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) from focusing only on one social network to expanding into messaging and bleeding-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI.)
Zuckerberg has undergone a significant transformation, going from being a reclusive founder to someone with a wide range of interests, from raising cattle on his $100 million Hawaii ranch to mixed martial arts (MMA) training.
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World's Youngest Billionaire
Zuckerberg was the world's youngest billionaire, after hitting that status in 2008. He's now the world's fourth richest person with a wealth of $167 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Together, Meta Platforms owns some of the most-used services in the world. Facebook, the largest social network in the world, has over 3 billion monthly active users, while Instagram and WhatsApp have 2 billion, each.
Overall, nearly half the world uses a Meta Platforms product – the company reported that it has nearly 4 billion monthly active users across its products and services.
Imagine that – Zuckerberg got 1 out of every 2 people in this world hooked onto one of Meta Platforms' products.
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From $27B To $167B In 10 Years
His net worth has increased from a relatively low $27 billion exactly 10 years ago to $167 billion. That is an increase of $140 billion during this period. In other words, Zuckerberg now has more than six times the wealth he had 10 years ago.
But what about the shareholders of his company? What if you had invested $1,000 in Meta Platforms when Zuckerberg was 30?
Here’s a look at how the Meta Platforms stock has fared since Zuckerberg was 30 years old.
Meta stock price from May 14, 2014, till today
Meta Platforms' stock, adjusted for stock splits and other corporate actions, was $57.92 on May 14, 2014.
Its stock price today is $468.01, which is an increase of 708% during this period.
Value of a $1,000 investment in Meta Platforms stock, and the QQQ ETF and S&P 500 index, respectively, from May 14, 2014, till today
If you had invested $1,000 in Meta Platforms stock on May 14, 2014, today, you would have $7,262.
Likewise, if you had invested $1,000 in Invesco QQQ ETF, you would have $5,033.
A similar $1,000 investment in an index fund that replicates the S&P 500 would be worth $2,755.
Zuckerberg's Vision, Powered By AI
The Meta Platforms chief has been busy dabbling in AI and augmented reality. During the company's first-quarter earnings call, Zuckerberg dived into Meta Platforms' AI efforts, revealing that "tens of millions" of users had already tried Meta AI.
Under his leadership, Meta Platforms has transformed the recommendations on Instagram to rely on AI for half of them.
He has also indicated a shift away from AI chatbots to "agents," signaling a change in how he perceives the average user to use this bleeding-edge technology.
Tech bull Wedbush's Dan Ives thinks Zuckerberg is "just getting started," calling him a "comeback kid." It remains to be seen if Zuckerberg's vision continues to pay off.
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