Mark Zuckerberg says he is not planning a run for president, despite growing speculation about his political ambitions, according to BuzzFeed News.
The Facebook Inc (ticker: FB) co-founder and CEO wrote the online media company a short “No” when asked about the possibility of him running for president, and says his focus is on “building our community at Facebook and working on the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.” He started the organization with wife Priscilla Chan “to advance human potential and promote equality through major bets in education and science research” in 2015, BuzzFeed reports.
Speculation has been mounting about Zuckerberg’s political future. Buzzfeed reports that he recently hired a former White House photographer for his Facebook pictures; a clause in a Facebook stock restructuring deal references the possibility of serving in an office and his plans to travel the country meeting people from every state. Business Insider notes this tour began with a trip to Texas, which is a key state for national political candidates.
Another recent hire for Zuckerberg is Uber executive David Plouffe, who used to be former President Barack Obama’s campaign manager and will now be the president of policy and advocacy at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Zuckerberg also hired a campaign manager of former President George W. Bush for an advisory position.
Social media users were quick to share the news about Zuckerberg’s announcement, though not everyone bought his answer.
That Zuckerberg “not running for president” statement is one of worst denials I’ve seen in highly competitive pack. https://t.co/QfvpMzKQua
— James Bethell (@JimBethell)
If Zuckerberg was running for president, he’d be deeply stupid to say so now. He’s not deeply stupid.
— Nick Baumann (@NickBaumann)
So he’s running https://t.co/XbE9PCedX1
— Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder)
Now what am I going to do with my Zuckerberg-Ben Smith 2020 stickers? https://t.co/uhrZRWxfDk
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV)
Suuuuure: Mark Zuckerberg says he has no plans to run for president, after weeks of speculation that he might. https://t.co/twqnlVxNyM
— John S. Wilson (@JohnWilson)
8 Stocks to Buy For a Starter Portfolio
What 8 CEOs Are Saying About Donald Trump’s Victory
More from U.S. News
8 Stocks to Buy For a Starter Portfolio
What 8 CEOs Are Saying About Donald Trump’s Victory
The 25 Best Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy for 2017
Facebook Inc (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg: ‘No,’ Not Running for President originally appeared on usnews.com
