According to reports, Mark Zuckerberg has allegedly pointed fingers at his former associate, Sheryl Sandberg, for the recent “cultural” challenges at Meta during a conversation with President-elect Donald Trump, notwithstanding her departure from the company more than two years ago.
The founder of Facebook is said to have engaged in blame-shifting at a meeting in November held at Mar-a-Lago, where The New York Times states he assured Trump that he would not obstruct his return to office next week.
The article indicated that in-depth discussions took place between Zuckerberg and key advisers to Trump—including Stephen Miller—with immigration reforms and diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies being among the primary talking points.
Zuckerberg, aged 40, was reportedly receptive to the president-elect’s viewpoints.
The article further claimed that Miller informed Zuckerberg that “he had the chance to aid in transforming America.” Zuckerberg replied that he would “not do anything to hinder the Trump agenda” and would concentrate “exclusively on developing tech products.”
“[Zuckerberg] indicated that recent policy updates and a series of layoffs were part of a reset and that further changes were forthcoming,” as reported by the Times, referencing a source familiar with the discussion.
On Thursday afternoon, the Times updated its report to clarify that Zuckerberg’s supposed dissatisfaction with Sandberg stemmed from “an inclusivity effort at Facebook that promoted employee self-expression.” The report did not elaborate on why Zuckerberg might oppose such an initiative.
Sandberg, now 55, left Facebook in 2022 but continued as a board member of its parent company, Meta, until stepping down from that position last year. She did not respond to the Daily Beast’s inquiries on Thursday.
At the time of Sandberg’s exit, there were no visible indicators of conflict between the two executives. In fact, Zuckerberg even wrote an extensive Facebook post in her last month, commending his business partner of over 14 years.
“It’s not common for a business relationship to endure as long as ours has,” he expressed. “I believe ours thrived because Sheryl is an exceptional person, leader, partner, and friend. She has a profound concern for the well-being of others and is generous in fostering relationships and facilitating personal growth.”
He mentioned that her role would remain unfilled because he was “unsure if that’s possible, as she’s a remarkable talent.”
“I’m disappointed that the time is nearing when I won’t work as closely with Sheryl,” he conveyed. “More than anything, I’m thankful for all she’s done to build Meta. She has contributed immensely to me, our community, and the world—making us all better in the process.”
Their bond extended into 2024 when Zuckerberg shared with MorningBrew that Sandberg had “raised him almost like a parent” and that they continue to be “close friends.”
Zuckerberg is slated to join fellow tech billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, taking a prominent seat at Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
This significant presence during Trump’s inauguration follows Meta’s $1 million contribution to the president-elect’s inaugural fund, alongside sweeping changes within its brand structure earlier this month.
The revamped Meta is poised to ease restrictions on discussions surrounding immigration, gender, and sexual orientation. Its fact-checking division has been disbanded, allowing for increased political content in user feeds, reversing years of suppression of such material.
Moreover, Meta’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, as well as the role of chief diversity officer, have been eliminated. The organization will no longer set diversity hiring objectives for women and minorities and will cease prioritizing minority-owned businesses in its vendor selection, as reported earlier this month by the Times.
Sources revealed to the paper that Zuckerberg personally spearheaded these adjustments, stepping into action following his meeting at Mar-a-Lago on November 27.
Previously reticent on political matters, Zuckerberg even appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast this month to discuss these changes and to criticize Joe Biden’s staff, who he alleged had “cursed” and “screamed” at his employees at Meta.
“They pressured us intensely to remove content that was, to be honest, accurate,” he claimed during the Rogan interview.
Zuckerberg’s transformation into a supporter of Trump reached new levels this week as he agreed to organize a black-tie inaugural gala for Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and their affluent GOP associates.
