Did Zuckerberg get married the day after Facebook’s IPO to keep billions to himself?

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook Wedding
The Facebook IPO was one of the most anticipated of all time. It made 28 year-old hoodie-wearing founder Mark Zuckerberg one of the richest men in the world, with an estimated net worth of nearly $20 billion dollars. Zuckerberg of course married his longterm girlfriend, recent medical school graduate Priscilla Chan, in a small private ceremony in his backyard just one day after Facebook went public. It was a surprise ceremony in that guests thought they were coming to a graduation party for Priscilla, but instead were treated to a wedding. Reports claimed that the event was planned for over four months. People were buzzing that the timing was suspect in that Priscilla would have no claim to the Facebook billions since Mark grew and “sold” the business prior to marrying her. Well TMZ consulted a lawyer who said that this isn’t true, since Mark grew the business prior to marrying Priscilla. Even if Facebook went public the day after the marriage, it’s not like she would be entitled to half the proceeds in the even of a divorce. It’s not like Mark was somehow trying to shaft Priscilla. She’s a highly accomplished, smart woman and she knows what’s up. Here’s more:

There’s talk that Mark Zuckerberg timed his wedding to cut his new wife out of the $20 billion he raked in Friday, when Facebook went public, but it’s simply not the case.

As you know, Mark married Priscilla Chan the day after his portfolio ballooned. But here’s the deal … Under California law, if one person grows a business before marriage and sells it right at the time he or she gets hitched, the new spouse has no legal claim to the proceeds of the sale.

Disso Queen Laura Wasser, who reps almost every celeb in the throes of divorce including Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie and Maria Shriver, tells TMZ it’s pretty simple: “Facebook is a separate property asset of Mr. Zuckerberg. It’s like a painter who paints a painting prior to marriage and sells it shortly after marriage. Any proceeds from the sale of the painting are the artist’s separate property.”

Now, if Facebook continues to increase in value during their marriage, Priscilla would have a 50% interest in proceeds from the growth. But if today is any indication … Priscilla shouldn’t hold her breath — the stock plummeted 10% today.

BTW, we don’t know if Mark got Priscilla to sign a prenup.

[From TMZ]

They talked about this on TMZ live (about 10 minutes into the video on this page). TMZ head Harvey Levin, who is a lawyer, explained it more clearly than this article does. He said that “All he’s done was cash in on what he created. Cashing in doesn’t give her the right to claim it.” Another staffer at TMZ asked if Priscilla would have rights to Facebook since she’s been with Mark for nine years, from when he created it. Harvey said no, and that “this is not a palimony situation… She’s been in medical school. She was creating her own career… She really didn’t give up anything, it was not that kind of relationship. So she wouldn’t be entitled to palimony. The bottom line is, it didn’t matter when he married her… the 20 billion dollars is his money alone.” Harvey went on to explain that she’s entitled to half the growth of Facebook during their marriage, but that it depends on if these two have a prenup or not, which is unknown.

Well there you have it, Zuckerberg married a woman he’s been with for nearly a decade, who has her own career. He’s not trying to bogart assets from her, and his choice of a mate makes him look like a stand up guy. If he wanted to he could easily be partying with supermodels on yachts with helicopter pads on them every weekend, but he’s not. As Kaiser mentioned in our earlier story on this, I’d love to see what’s next for these two. They can achieve amazing feats of philanthropy with that kind of money.

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook

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92 Responses to “Did Zuckerberg get married the day after Facebook’s IPO to keep billions to himself?”

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  1. NYC_girl says:

    There is something really douchey about his face.

    • ozmom says:

      There’s something really douchey about making such a rude comment.

      • watchingyoubitchh says:

        rude

      • kazoo says:

        LMFAO.

        I understand what you mean, nyc_girl. I call guys like that “douche-face.” Some people just look like douches.

        I dunno if MZ is a douche, but I’ve always heard that he has Aspergers, and I give anyone with a mental disorder somewhat of a pass when it comes to their persona.

    • NYC_girl says:

      Oh come on. You don’t think so? I said nothing about her – she looks lovely. There’s something about his face that doesn’t look nice. My comment has nothing to do with his “money” or the timing of their wedding.

      • lil ole me says:

        I co-sign. Something off about his face/eyes.

      • Bad Fairy says:

        Since a douche us something that you use to wash the inside of your vag, I would say yeah. That qualifies as a low life rude comment. But ya know, whatever floats your boat.

      • ozmom says:

        Sorry, NYC, maybe I was a little harsh in my comment to you. I had just read the Chris Brown story and felt that after reading about that douche no one should be picking on Zuckerberg. That being said, I still don’t think his face looks “douchey”. Geeky or goofy at worst but when I think of a douchey face Donald Trump comes to mind.

      • Maguita says:

        ^Now that was classy. Hug it out Ladies, you are both awesome in my book!

      • Irishae says:

        Your comment was funny. Let’s not get too PC around here, pretty please? With a douche-flavored cherry on top? 😉

      • NYC_girl says:

        I love all of you (esp you, Irishae). Maybe I got ripped because I was the first comment? LOL! If I’m a low-life, I guess it’s because I worked with lawyers for 7 years. xoxo

    • YEP_ITS_HER says:

      Agreed. He is a startlingly unattractive man. Also, in his wedding pic he looks like he’s posing with a fan. Strange man.

    • Milan says:

      Tittletittletittl….snort, tttttttt! you said douche, heeheehee!

  2. normades says:

    She isn’t a gold digger and he isn’t trying to shaft her. End of story.

    Also, if you’ve never seen pictures of their dog BEAST, check out his facebook page. He’s the cutest!!!

    http://www.facebook.com/beast.the.dog

    • NYC_girl says:

      That dog is the cutest – I love the Wall pics. They have a warming drawer in their kitchen. Envy.

    • Nina says:

      Omg that dog. Is. Adorable.

    • Molly says:

      Seriously, he’s not doing that sort of thing. She’s been living w/him for years and he could have dumped her and taken up w/ some ho. I’m sure they had their wedding so media would be too distracted by the IPO to notice, or that it was an astrologically sig date (if she’s Chinese). Also, hello, her med school graduation was just some days ago.

      She’s really, really cool for helping sick kids as a healthcare provider and going through the hell of med school.

    • Onyx XV says:

      I thought I had the cutest dog ever, but Beast could give Pepper a run for her money! He is ridiculously cute!

  3. lizzi says:

    I heard he’s a giant douche. also, is it just me or does the photo of her in a wedding dress look like a different person than the photo of her below? Anyone else think so?

    • Sasha says:

      Yes! Is it even the same person?!

      • LeeLoo says:

        Also graduate school stress will cause you to gain 20 lbs. If you’re in medical school that stress is multiplied. She’s probably been losing weight this final semester since she was probably only doing her clinicals this last semester which gave her an opportunity to lose weight.

    • fabgrrl says:

      Probably lost some weight and had her makeup done professionally for her wedding, like MANY women do.

      • L says:

        THIS.

        I lost 25 pounds before I got married. Mostly from family stress, but still. She still looks like herself, just glowing from being married and professional makeup and hair.

        Just like tons of other brides.

      • lizzi says:

        ahh yeah you’re probably right. i lost weight for my wedding too… i think maybe its just the angle. and she looks really tan in the below pic. I still think she’s lovely either way.

  4. gee says:

    Wow Harvey from TMZ not being annoying and actually explaining something. Weird.

  5. another nina says:

    Aside from cashing in explanation, I also think that IPO date was floating, and marriage date was most likely fixed (1st weekend after graduation). So, no, I don’t find the situation suspicious.

  6. Blue says:

    I don’t know why people are trying to rain on their parade. They just got married after almost a decade of dating, it’s not always about the money.

  7. Mitch Buchanan Rocks says:

    Facebook hogs up my processor and I feel irritated when using it – the original was better before all the changes -the more it is improved the worse it gets, modern times I guess.

  8. bettyrose says:

    From everything I’ve heard, she could do better than Zuckerberg, but she probably loves him. In any case, she was no doubt on board for whatever strategy would get the haters off her back. The marriage will still make her fabulously wealthy, anyway.

  9. Jacq says:

    I honestly thought they chose the date because everyone would be distracted by the IPO and they would get to maintain their privacy. If they’ve been together and lived together as long as they have, it would be a complicated situation if they split. But, come on, you really think he would have married her if he thought that was a possibility?

  10. Jayna says:

    Come on. It doesn’t matter. They have a prenup and he is a fool if he didn’t. She will be a very very wealthy woman if they divorce as I am sure the prenup is beyond fair. I doubt she wants any more than that. She doesn’t seem the type.

    • ahoyhoy says:

      True. Women don’t do the work required to get into Harvard pre-med if they only want an ‘MRS Degree’.

      I am impressed he has stuck by one woman, instead of turning into the Joe Francis he could choose to be.
      If he does cheat on Priscilla, he’s an idiot. Because she loved him when he was a geek nobody. He’s so lucky, and I really hope he knows it!

  11. Maguita says:

    Whether a douche, a nerd, or whatever comes across your sleazedar, this dude made something big that has evolved our social interaction… Or devolved, which we would be able to better estimate decades from today.

    I want to work for Facebook! Apparently the working environment is amazing, respectful, very health conscious, and most importantly, respects the balance between professional and family life. In this day and age of stumbling economy, and very poor job prospects, this Facebook environment looks like a haven for the hopeless career hunters.

  12. Maguita says:

    @Asli, It means the process of selling ownership in a company to the public.

    The company uses investment banks to raise money by selling shares of stock to investors. The company can then use the money to grow its operations.

    Going public is a quick way for a company to get access to a lot of money. It makes it easier for employees to cash in and out of their shares also. But it also opens the company up to greater public scrutiny.

  13. NYC_girl says:

    The company is now publicly held, meaning we can buy shares/stock in it. Here is more info:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_public_offering

  14. Jack says:

    They both look miserable. Mazel tov

  15. lover says:

    my gaydar goes up whenever i see him.. i have nothing againt gays as i am one myself im just saying..

  16. LucyOriginal says:

    I didn’t write anything on the thread about their wedding. I think the wedding a day after the facebook deal has more to do with her graduation. They wanted to surprise everyone and have a low key wedding, which I thought it was a lovely idea. If I ever get married, that’s what I want: something simple in my house surrounded by family and friends. No fluffy and lavish wedding. Congratulations to the couple!

  17. Meecey says:

    Happy for them. To her: good catch, chick!! Where is MY billionaire?? Sigh.
    As for the $$ neither one is stupid, so I hope IF they divorce, it’s fair. Btw why do we always assume divorce? Sad commentary on our society, I think. But if ur that worried n gotta have a prenup, I say don’t get married in the first place.

    • MST says:

      I would “settle” for a millionaire — or in my impoverished state, a “thousandaire!” I am still praying for the Powerball Gods to smile down upon me!

  18. L says:

    I’m not a big zuckerberg fan, but he wasn’t trying to do anything shady with the IPO/wedding thing. It really is just a coincidence.

    The thing is the IPO date was up in the air for a long time. It’s not like it was set in stone for this Friday. It was originally scheduled to be a few months ago, but got shifted back several times.

    From everything I’ve read-the entire wedding was planned around her medical school graduation. Months ago. While I’m sure they have a prenup (they both seem like smart people who would plan for that), there was nothing nefarious going on.

    • L says:

      Ps. She comes from her own money. Her parents are pretty wealthy (not facebook wealthy, but still) She went to Harvard. Taught elementary school. Got in to a great medical school. And is a doctor.

      The only person I can compare her to is Kate Middleton, and I can tell you who I am more impressed by.

      • LAK says:

        Please let’s not compare her to Kate Middleton.

        Whilst i get what you are trying to say, i think the reason the two can not compare is that Kate Middleton wouldn’t have given him a second look 9years ago because

        1. he wasn’t rich
        2. He did not move in the kind of circles she would have liked to be in – what ever the American Equivalent of such circles would have been.

        Plus all the other reasons we have discussed ad nauseum as why Kate Middleton is a poor role model for women, especially those waiting to get the ring.

  19. S says:

    oh come on, they just got married! leave them alone to honeymoon/procreate in peace

  20. jc126 says:

    Who cares? If you invented something worth billions, would you want to give away half to your (possible) future ex spouse? I wouldn’t.
    I don’t think she sounds like a gold digger, but divorce stats are what they are. Anyone would be foolish not to do a pre-nup and protect assets. I doubt if they split that she won’t be very wealthy.

  21. eric says:

    Enjoy your worthless company Zuckenberg, I wander what the market share for facebook will be in a couple of years?
    He obviously doesn’t do anything worthwhile with his billions, like Bill Gates, and he always has that blank stare of a serial killer, Jesse Eisenberg was engaging and appealing in the Social Network, he made that douchebag look good.
    I would not buy these worthless shares, because the future of Facebook looks bleak.

    • MST says:

      Why do you say it will be worthless, Eric? Just curious.

      I have no interest in Facebook, but some people are on it all friggin’ day.

    • LAK says:

      @Eric – Wow, such bitterness. on this and the other thread regarding FB. Did Mark Z shaft you out of Facebook shares or could you not get your hands on some FB shares? Why do you hate FB so much? And in such a personal way?

      • Irishae says:

        Meh, Eric is entitled to spew rage just like we are. I certainly don’t have anything against Zuckerberg or Facebook personally, but I estimate Eric isn’t too far off from the truth. Facebook has nothing of inherent value to offer, no tangible resources to be traded or purchased, or protected intellectual property. It has reached its peak as far as social relevance and downhill is the only place to go–remember MySpace?

      • LAK says:

        @irishae – rage? ReallY?? So Mark Z found a way to make money that is illogical to you? Why wish him into the fifth circle of hell?

        I am not saying you can’t have this reaction but I am genuinely curious why both you and particularly eric are taking this so personally. Is this your reaction to everyone that makes money or Mark Z specifically? I ask again, what did he do to get this reaction?

      • Irishae says:

        @LAK

        Lol, I’m quite taken aback by your response to my comment. I said nothing bad about Zuckerberg or Facebook personally (see sentence #2), and I certainly don’t see where Eric or I wished him to any particular circle of hell or hated on him for having money. I did mention that he, or you, or I can say whatever we want and that Facebook stock is going to bomb, which is a business-related comment. Maybe you just need to smoke a bowl and chillax? Maybe you’re PMSing, I can understand.

    • Scarlet Vixen says:

      @Eric: The guy gave $100 MILLION to Newark Public Schools. And he’s not even from New Jersey. Sorry that a 25 yr old dude giving away $100 million isn’t up to your philanthropic standards. Yeah, he’s not quite Bill Gates yet, but the dude isn’t even 30–give him some time. He’s obviously not interested in spending all his money on himself (like Paul Allen–Bill Gates former business partner), so I’m sure he’ll be giving tons away eventually.

      • Maguita says:

        +1

        As they say, put your money where your mouth is, and Zuckerberg has done that over and over already.

        Hopefully, there will be more to come.

    • april says:

      Zuckerberg has already pledged half of his money to the Bill Gates Foundation which is a charitable foundation. So I think that is awesome for a young guy like him!

  22. someone says:

    Don’t you think he probably gave her a bunch of stock options somewhere along the line? He was giving his friends that helped him start up Facebook stock so you would assume that even though Priscilla didn’t technically work for Facebook she was in on the deal.

  23. Bamster says:

    Seriously, how much money does one person need? even 1/2 of 20 Bil is beyond what anyone needs, wonder if he’ll do any good in the world w all that money?

    • MST says:

      That’s what I say, especially since billions of people live on a dollar a day. A dollar a day!

      Personally I would be very happy with a million or two. I could travel, pay off my mortgage, help my kids, and quit one of my two jobs.

      Zuckerberg did give $100 million to some schools in New Jersey. This was right after “The Social Network” came out. I didn’t see the movie, but I heard it makes him look bad. Some said he did it to soften his image, but hey, at least he gave.

      • Jax says:

        So in one hand you bash him for exorbant wealth and on the other hand what you would do with a smaller percentage of exorbant wealth, which while you don’t need that much, you don’t offer to help anyone out of your family circle. Hypocritical much?

  24. Talie says:

    Yeah, I don’t think she’s marrying him for money. I believe it’s love.

  25. Mooshi says:

    @jc126 says:

    “Who cares? If you invented something worth billions”

    From what I have read, he STOLE the idea from his college friends.

    • Scarlet Vixen says:

      @Mooshi: That’s been proven in court over and over to be inaccurate. The Winklevoss twins who’ve been b*tching for years now that Zuckerberg ‘stole’ their idea have even admitted that their idea really wasn’t that similar to the concept of Facebook. They created their own website called ConnectU. They were given 1.2million shares and $20mil in cash, and lost their last appeal in 2008 (I think).

      • jc126 says:

        Yes, I don’t know the actual truth of all this, but the court says the idea is Zuckerberg’s. Anyway, suppose it were the Winklevoss’ idea, I still don’t think Priscilla Chan should get that money.

      • the808vibe says:

        Fo’ all yous know, da Chans own 10 sweat shops back in ole Beijing!

  26. MST says:

    Zuckerberg is an self-described atheist (I don’t know about his girlfriend) so I wonder if he had a civil ceremony?

    Anyway, that dress was designed by Claire Pettibone and cost nearly $5,000.00. It’s pretty, but it’s just a simple slip dress with a low cut back and a lace overlay. A good seamstress (ahem, someone like myself) could copy it for a fraction of the price. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2147718/We-like-dress-How-Priscilla-Chan-married-Mark-Zuckerberg-4-700-wedding-gown-American-designer-Claire-Pettibone.html

    • the808vibe says:

      You’re hired!

      One good seamstress iz worth mo’ den 10 million Zuckerburgers wit extra cheese.

  27. TG says:

    I think we all think he looks like a douche because he looks like Justin Timberlake. His bride looks pretty in the wedding photo but schlumpy in the other photo. Well she has her own career so kudos to him for picking a smart woman just like Bill Gates did. So not all men are the jerkoffs that Pinault and others are. Though to Pinault’s credit he does seem to whore around with women in his age range.

  28. littlestar says:

    This is ridiculous. Zuckerberg had no idea when the IPO was going to take place. He didn’t have control over that! So there is no possible way they got married beforehand so he could “keep” his billions. The wedding date was obviously set months before the IPO, and then, if you all recall, the IPO was announced only weeks before it actually took place! It was merely coincidence that it took place after the wedding.

  29. Hanna says:

    That’s one ugly dude.

  30. Cathy says:

    Well, I’m happy for them. If they decide to have children someday, I hope they have happy, healthy children.

  31. Nia says:

    My dream is her reality.
    Good luck and love to both!

    • april says:

      I love your statement “my dream is her reality.” I have to remember that. Anyway, I think they are well suited for each other after having been together for the last 8 or 9 years. Both are very intelligent, hardworking, private people. I hope the best for them!

  32. Listerino says:

    Am I the only one that thinks they both look really unhappy in that wedding photo? They chose that one to release to the media? I dunno they just seem really unexcited about being married. You’d think they’d pick something more romantic.

  33. LeeLoo says:

    Mark Zuckerberg is trying way too hard to become the next Bill Gates. We get it, you’re a boy genius.

    Does everyone want to know what the best feeling in the world is? Deactivating your Facebook profile. I deactivated mine a few months ago and I’m telling you, I don’t miss it. I feel free.

    • Maguita says:

      LOL!

      Too tempting, but I’m not that courageous yet.

    • LAK says:

      Me too. The looks people give me when i tell then i am not on FB or Twitter etc. Like i have some kind of disability.

      • Veruca says:

        Is that what that look means? I thought it meant they were too scared to not be tied to those sites.

        I’ve got friends that can’t go two minutes without looking at their facebooks. It’s gotten so bad that their phones get tossed into a bowl when we meet. If you grab your phone for any reason besides a call or tm, you throw in a buck.

        Happy to say, it works.

      • LAK says:

        @Veruca – That’s a great idea. Why did i never think to do that before. Going to try that on them next time, even if we are out and about. 🙂

      • Irishae says:

        Right there with you LAK.

        Please don’t hate on me for agreeing with you *ducks*

  34. Cary says:

    Regardless of whether or not the story is true, it’s HIS money from HIS business and she isn’t entitled to a single cent. It’s HIS.

    And this is coming from a girl who thinks Zuckerberg is a jerk, but agrees that he would be right in this regard

  35. erin says:

    Anyone who loves dogs as much as they obviously love theirs can’t be a bad person in my book. Best to them!

  36. Maguita says:

    For real! I thought I was the only one going crazy reading those?

    It’s like a troll on speed. Or a thlobbering Chihuahua on Crystal Taco Bell.

  37. Stephanie says:

    TBH, when I heard about their marriage, that was exactly what I thought.

  38. yoyo says:

    What a bunch of haters, seriously. they’ve been together forever, she is an actual real woman with brains and a career; the media is so unfamiliar with that type of woman that they don’t know what to do with her so they go off on useless tangents like if she was some gold digging bimbo. Please! She couldn’t care less about his money, she’s going to get her own from being a doctor. I’m sure she’s happy for him and his success but she’s doing her own thing. Otherwise she would not be embarking on a residency, she’ d become a country club wifey. Something tells it’s not her style….nor his. Good for them!

    • april says:

      Agree. It’s so nice to see a normal-looking couple for a change!!

      I think it’s great they look so refreshingly themselves without pretentiousness. I doubt there’s too many other people out there with that kind of money who would be like that.

  39. Pat Dorty says:

    I wouldn’t doubt it at all, this guy is a class “A” Creep. He got where he’s at by shitting on others. He wears the same tee-shirt all the time, just a con artist.