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UPADTE 8/12/15: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are parents! The couple welcomed baby daughter Max (we love the name) recently. ?Priscilla and I are so happy to welcome our daughter Max into the world!? the social network founder said.
It is indeed wonderful news for the couple, who have openly spoken of their troubles to conceive in the past.
Not only were they delighted to welcome their firstborn into the world, they also announced something pretty incredible: they intend to give away 99% of Facebook shares in their lifetime (currently worth around $45 billion) to their newly founded Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a charity organisation with the mission to globally advance human potential and promote equality.
They want to do this to provide a better future for their young daughter and many others around the world.
The charity will be administered by the CEO himself and is already on track to be worth a potential $3 billion by 2018.
As their donation figures equate to the bulk?of their fortune, that, to put it mildly, is what you call giving something back.
The proud parents announced the move on Facebook (where else) in the form of an emotive letter to their baby, part of which said:
?Dear Max,
Your mother and I don’t yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future. Your new life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can explore it fully. You’ve already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in.
Like all parents, we want you to grow up in a world better than ours today.?While headlines often focus on what’s wrong, in many ways, the world is getting better. People are connecting. Technological progress in every field means your life should be dramatically better than ours today.
We will do our part to make this happen, not only because we love you, but also because we have a moral responsibility to all children in the next generation. We believe all lives have equal value, and that includes the many more people who will live in future generations than live today.?Max, we love you and feel a great responsibility to leave the world a better place for you and all children. We wish you a life filled with the same love, hope and joy you give us. We can’t wait to see what you bring to this world.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Sheryl Sandberg – Chief Operating Officer at Facebook – ?also congratulated the pair for their ?generosity and thoughtfulness.?
The couple also released this adorable photo of there new daughter:
Even at this very early stage, it already reportedly has the potential to be one of the biggest charity initiatives in the world. We’re assuming any sterling silver spoon baby favours bought as intended gifts may look ever-so-slightly inadequate after such an announcement.
The spirit of giving is truly evident in the Zuckerberg household and according to The Guardian, it is thought?that those?who are also privy to such vast fortunes?will be inspired to make similar charitable gestures in the future.
After announcing his intention to take two’months paternity leave, the social media tycoon and his family are more than deserving of their time together.
Congratulations to them both.
Via Facebook
A few weeks before Max’s birth, Priscilla and Mark took a morning to reflect and record their hopes for their daughter and all children of her generation.
Posted by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative on Tuesday, 1 December 2015