Where is Mark Zuckerberg Wife From?
Though the social media world has long been aware of Mark Zuckerberg and his technological brilliance, it may seem strange to many to learn that he is in fact married. His wife, Priscilla Chan, is not a common figure on the public stage, and tends to remain silent while Zuckerberg continues to revolutionize the social media world.
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan first met in line for the bathroom at a college party in 2003. Less than a decade later, Zuckerberg had become one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world, running a company worth billions of dollars.
After 8 years of dating, through college and law school, Zuckerberg finally proposed to Chan in May, 2012. Facebook Inc. planned to go public that month which raised eyebrows about the sudden engagement.
Chan grew up in a small suburb of Boston called Braintree, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of Chinese refugees who fled Vietnam in the late 1970s. Her parents worked in a variety of jobs in restaurants and bakeries to make enough money to survive.
At Harvard University, Chan studied biology and graduated in 2007. She continued her education and got a medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco. After completing several charity projects, she and Zuckerberg announced the establishment of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
The purpose of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is to use technology to cure, prevent and manage all diseases by the end of the century. Zuckerberg and Chan have committed $3 billion over 10 years to the project.
Chan has largely stayed away from the limelight and avoided interviews. She has rarely appeared with Zuckerberg in public and does not talk about her background, personal life, or marriage. However, she occasionally posts photos of her family on her Facebook page.
The Chan-Zuckerberg couple has two children and lives in Palo Alto, California where Facebook Inc. is based.
Early Life of Priscilla Chan
Chan was born on February 24, 1985, in Braintree, Massachusetts to Yvonne and Dennis Chan. Her father worked as a real-estate agent while her mother worked as a nurse. Chan has two siblings; her elder cousin Elaine and younger brother John.
Chan was an excellent student and attended Quincy High School. She was the valedictorian of her high school class. After graduating from Harvard University in 2007, Chan attended medical school at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and obtained her medical degree in 2012.
After graduating medical school, Chan worked as a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital before joining the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. She also helped to launch the Primary School in 2016. The primary school provides high-quality education, healthcare and other services for youth in the East Palo Alto community.
Priscilla Chan’s Philanthropic Work
Chan has also been involved in a number of philanthropic activities. She served as a board member of Advancement Project, a civil rights group, from 2008 to 2013. In 2016, Chan worked with the Ravenswood School District to launch the Ravenswood Education Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of public education in East Palo Alto.
Furthermore, Chan donated $75 million to San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. The hospital was renamed Priscilla and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center in 2015 in recognition of her donation.
The Chan-Zuckerberg couple has also donated to a number of other organizations including the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the San Francisco Ballet, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Comparison With Other Philanthropists
Though the Chan-Zuckerbergs have committed a large amount of money to charity, they pale in comparison to some of the world’s other philanthropists. Business moguls such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and George Soros have pledged a combined total of over $100 billion dollars to charities and organizations united in the effort to tackle the world’s most pressing issues.
Despite the fact that Chan and Zuckerberg may not be world-class philanthropists at this point in their lives, they are likely to become increasingly involved in the world of philanthropy as they achieve more success. They may eventually be in a position to make a significan impact on the world through their donations.
Relationship With Mark Zuckerberg
Little is known about the relationship between Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. They have both remained relatively silent about their relationship and prefer to stay out of the limelight.
However, it is clear that Chan has been incredibly supportive of Zuckerberg throughout his career. She has stood by him through the rise and fall of Facebook, and her unwavering support has been the foundation for their relationship.
Despite the fact that Chan tends to stay out of the public eye, Zuckerberg has repeatedly expressed his admiration for her and thanks her for her support. He was quoted saying, “She’s really gone through some difficult times with me and stuck by me when a lot of other people might not have.”
Priscilla Chan’s Wealth
Though Chan is married to one of the most wealthy people in the world, she is not a billionaire in her own right. Her net worth is estimated to be around $20 million dollars, which is a result of her salary as a pediatrician, her investment portfolio and her philanthropic activities with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
This does not come as a surprise though, as Chan has expressed her intention to focus on philanthropic work rather than her own wealth. She is quoted saying, “We have this incredible opportunity to use the skills we’ve built and the resources we have to make the world a better place and we’re trying to take full advantage of that.”
Significance of Priscilla Chan
Though Priscilla Chan has become a character in the background of the Zuckerberg story, her impact on Zuckerberg’s life, and the world, should not be underestimated.
Chan has played an instrumental role in Zuckerberg’s success by providing support, developing key initiatives and providing motivation, and this has undoubtedly had a major impact on Facebook’s huge success. At the same time, her dedication to philanthropy has helped to make the world a better place.
Whatever people may think of the Chan-Zuckerbergs, their impact on the world cannot be denied.
