Image via Complex Original
Judging from the recent number of tell-all books, an Oscar-nominated film depicting his not-so-innocent rise to the top, and news reports exposing some despicable episodes from his past (and present)—it’s quite obvious that Mark Zuckerberg is slowly becoming one of Silicon Valley's biggest douchebags. Former employees have exposed his dirty laundry and labeled him an egomaniac fixated on marching to the beat of his own drum, even if it means stomping on others in the process. Needless to say, as Facebook's financials begin to flounder, the Zuck’s arrogance is beginning to lose its charm. Need proof? Keep reading.
13. The Sequoia Capital Prank
Date: 2006
Zuckerberg’s outlandish pranks are well documented in David Kirkpatrick’s book, The Facebook Effect. Legend has it that he assembled a bogus slideshow based on a P2P side project called Wirehog to show investors at Sequoia Capital. The gag came about after board member Sean Parker convinced Zuckerberg the investment company would never invest in FB and blamed one of its power players, Michael Moritz, for his firing at Plaxo. Zuckerberg went into the meeting with a David Letterman-inspired presentation titled “The Top Ten Reasons You Should Not Invest In Wirehog,” citing absurd notions such as “Because Sean Parker is involved” and “We're only here because [a Sequoia partner] told us to come."
12. The Zuck Tells Facebookers To Chill
Date: Sept. 6, 2006
Once Facebook introduced its News Feed, like all of its new features, millions of subscribers went ballistic and flooded the network with complaints. Zuckerberg’s response to everyone was a blog post titled "Calm down. Breathe. We hear you." Excuse us? The company’s PR savior Brandee Barker initiated some damage control by pressuring Zuckerberg to address users with a more subtle reply.
11. The Zuck Can’t Be Blocked
Date: Aug. 22, 2010
Blockzuck.com discovered the only person on Facebook that cannot be blocked is none other than the company’s capo. Anyone who tried to do so would be met with a "general block failed error" message. The site’s creator claims users were once able to block Zuckerberg. However, a Facebook rep went on to explain the ordeal: "This error isn't specific to any one account. It's generated when a person has been blocked a certain large number of times. In very rare instances, a viral campaign will develop instructing lots of people to all wrongly block the same person.” It's pretty obvious who made this call.
10. Poaches Sheryl Sandberg in Front of Google
Date: January 2008
Since their first meeting in December 2007, Zuckerberg had his eyes on hiring the former Google executive. The two met up at a café in Atherton, CA and even in Sandberg’s home, but nothing transpired. Then came the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Zuckerberg managed to score a ride on Google’s private 767 with Sandberg and poached her throughout the entire trip right in front of Google executives. The rest is history. Larry Page should have duffed him for that one.
9. Ignoring Sexual Harassment Complaint
Date: 2005/2006
Zuckerberg's former ghostwriter Katherine Losse started at Facebook in 2005 and went on to expose the CEO's chauvinistic behavior in her new tell-all book: The Boy Kings. Losse recalls an incident where a male employee told a female worker at lunch "I want to put my teeth in you [sic] ass." The unnamed woman apparently brought the complaint to Zuckerberg, who addressed the remark at an all-employee meeting by saying, “What does that even mean?” Losse states she told Zuckerberg that sexual harrassment in the office was “unacceptable” and though she realized he listened to her every word...nothing registered.
8. 30-Second Airtime Session
Date: June 5, 2012
In support of former partner and frenemy Sean Parker's new video chat startup, Airtime, Zuckerberg stepped into the ChatRoulette-esque environment and surprised a NY artist, Ronen V. Dude thanked him for creating Facebook and showed much enthusiasm throughout the convo, but told Betabeat.com that "after like 30 seconds he NEXTed me." On top of that, Zuckerberg didn't look all too thrilled to be on. So much for the favor.
7. Sheryl Sandberg’s Awkward Facebook Introduction
Date: March 2008
Former Facebook employee Katherine Losse recalls the moment when the team was introduced Sheryl Sandberg. According to her account, Zuckerberg held an all-hands meeting to get everyone acquainted with their new COO, but did it in the most inelegant fashion possible. His words: "Sheryl and I met at a party and we immediately hit it off…When I met Sheryl, the first thing I said was that she had really good skin…and she does." Classy.
6. Inappropriate Photo Gesture
Date: 2006
Back in the winter of 2006, Facebook executives, including Katherine Losse, rented a Tahoe house and got completely smashed. Losse recounts donning a bearskin, “complete with head,” that Zuckerberg found hilarious and had the company’s Facebook Photos creator snap a shot of her, which was then uploaded to an online album the following Monday. After seeing the pic, she noticed Zuckerberg “gesturing” at her arrogantly “like an emperor…commanding an employee, female, to submit.” Yep, that's exactly how it looks.
5. Mounts Dead Bison in Sandberg's Office
Date: Dec. 16, 2011
Living true to his “I only eat what I kill” mantra, Zuckerberg played prankster by taking the head of a bison he slaughtered and hanging its head in Sheryl Sandberg’s conference room. Upon her return to headquarters, Sandberg was more than shocked to see the dead beast, which took up a good amount of space. Zuckerberg went so far as to nickname the bison Billy and drape it in a hoodie and Facebook fitted cap.
4. Absurd Vacation Demands
Date: Jan. 4, 2012
Months before taking the company public, Zuckerberg took then-girlfriend Priscilla Chan and several friends down to Uruguay’s southeastern coast for some R&R. But before heading out, he shot over a list of outrageous demands to the owner of the house he was renting. Not only did he demand all the furniture be removed and replaced, the house needed to be scrubbed down with “special chemicals” and each guest had to be given their own house servant. Guess when you’re balling like that you can be a dick with your demands.
3. Silicon Valley's Worst Tipper
Date: May 29, 2012
On his secret honeymoon in Rome, Zuckerberg and his wife grabbed lunch at a restaurant in Rome's "Jewish Ghetto" that tallied up to a measly 32 euros ($40) and left no tip behind. The owner, who goes by the name Umberto, claims the 28-year-old entrepreneur was extremely happy with his meal, but showed no gratuity when the bill came, leaving waiters shocked at his penny-pinching demeanor. Reports had him pulling the same stunt the night before at a historic trattoria in the heart of Rome called Pierluigi.
2. My Super Narcissistic 22nd Birthday
Date: May 2006
Another exposition from Losse's book tells the tale of Facebook employees being forced to idolize Zuckerberg on his 22nd Birthday. The author, also known as employee No. 51, confirms receiving a memo stating all women in the office had to “wear a T-shirt with Mark’s picture on it,” while all men were told to rock Adidas sandals. “The gender coding was clear: women were to declare allegiance to Mark, and men were to become Mark, or to at least dress like him,” wrote Losse. And we thought those spoiled brats on My Super Sweet 16 were horrible.
1. Calling Facebook Users “Dumb Fucks”
Date: 2004
“I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS…People just submitted it. I don’t know why...Dumb fucks.” The infamous IMs shared by an anonymous college friend and then 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg. Business Insider reports the exchange took place during the early launch days of The Facebook, with the CEO mocking users for their willingness to share personal data on the social network. He'll never live this one down.