Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has reached a significant financial milestone, becoming one of the few individuals in history with a net worth exceeding $200 billion. According to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, Zuckerberg's fortune currently stands at $201 billion, placing him as the fourth-richest person globally.
Zuckerberg's wealth primarily stems from his 13% stake in Meta, which translates to approximately 345.5 million shares. This year alone, his fortune has witnessed a remarkable growth of $73.4 billion, primarily driven by the surge in Meta's stock price. Since January 2024, Meta's shares have experienced a near 60% increase, reaching record highs of over $560 per share.
The rise in Meta's stock value is attributed to strong investor confidence, with the company currently trading at about 24 times its forward earnings. This figure is slightly below the Nasdaq 100's average of 26 times, but it still indicates significant market interest in Meta's future prospects.
At the recent Meta Connect 2024 event, Zuckerberg outlined the company's ambitious plans for artificial intelligence. Meta AI is projected to become one of the most widely used digital assistants, with an estimated 500 million monthly active users, despite not yet being launched in major markets like the European Union.
Zuckerberg's rise to the $200 billion mark places him among a growing number of tech leaders who have witnessed substantial wealth growth in 2024. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, saw his net worth increase by $62.2 billion, while Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison gained $58.6 billion.
Zuckerberg's financial resurgence is particularly noteworthy considering the setbacks he faced in 2022, when his metaverse investments led to a sharp decline in his net worth, erasing over $100 billion. However, Meta's strategic pivot, driven by innovations like its Orion augmented reality glasses, has successfully transformed the company from a social media platform into a serious contender in the metaverse and AI space.