Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg turned 40 on May 14th. He marked the occasion with photos featuring his family and a surprise guest – Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The pictures also included a recreated version of Mr Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room, the place where Facebook began.
“Harvard dorm where I launched Facebook (with special guest),” Mr Zuckerberg captioned the image, showing himself alongside Mr Gates in the recreated space.
The birthday photos offered a surprising look for Mr Zuckerberg. He opted for a black t-shirt, jeans, and a gold chain, a noticeable change from his usual grey t-shirts and blue jeans. The pictures also included a recreation of Mr Zuckerberg’s first apartment, featuring a simple setup with a study table, chair, and a mattress on the floor.
Mr Zuckerberg captioned the image: “First apartment with just a mattress on the floor where I stayed until we reached 100 million people.”
In another picture, Mr Zuckerberg’s lockdown office setting can be seen. He captioned it as “Office lockdown where we worked day and night to fight off competitors”. He also clicked pictures with a recreated “Pinocchio’s Pizzeria” which he used to eat frequently during his college days. He described it as “Pinocchio’s Pizzeria where I basically lived in college.”
Mr Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard after he launched Facebook in 2004.
Adding to the birthday cheer, Mr Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan shared some heartwarming pictures. The rare images capture Mr Zuckerberg enjoying moments with his wife and their three daughters: Aurelia (1 year old), August (6 years old), and Maxima (8 years old). In one particularly touching photo, Zuckerberg is seen showing his daughters the room where he grew up.
In the caption, she wrote, “Mark doesn’t usually let me go big for his birthday but for his 40th I was allowed to throw a bash as long our friends and family also roasted him. We all had a blast! Let’s just say that no one suffered from a lack of material! Jokes aside, as I reflect on the 21 of Mark’s birthdays we have spent together, one of my favorite things about Mark is how he really, truly believes in people. He sees the potential in all of us. I have no idea what adventures are coming next, but I’m here for all of them. Here’s to many more.”