Mark Zuckerberg Will Not Run for President The entrepreneur is focused on Facebook and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

By Stephanie Mlot

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on PCMag

catwalker | Shutterstock.com
Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg will not be the next President of the United States.

The Facebook founder and CEO told BuzzFeed News that "no," he does not have any plans to run for Commander in Chief.

"I'm focused on building our community at Facebook and working on the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative," he said on Tuesday.

A Facebook spokesman declined to comment further to PCMag.

The rebuff comes weeks after Zuck revealed plans to visit and meet people in 30 states -- a move many believed was the start of the entrepreneur's political career.

Other clues hinted at a possible run: Last month Zuckerberg stated that he now believes "religion is very important." He also convinced Facebook's board to let him retain control of his company -- even if he takes a leave of absence to serve "in a government position or office." And David Plouffe, Obama's 2008 campaign manager in 2008, recently joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to lead its policy and advocacy effort.

Zuckerberg also employs a personal communications management team. Some help write posts and speeches, others delete harassing comments and spam on his page; a professional photographer documents his life.

But the 32-year-old is more interested in fulfilling his civic duty as a private citizen, BuzzFeed said, citing a source close to Zuckerberg. "There's absolutely no truth to the idea that Mark is running for office and I've heard it directly from him," the anonymous confidant told the news site, adding that Zuckerberg identifies Facebook as a "global community" that "plays an incredibly important role in shaping the base on the issues that matter."

It's possible, however, that Zuck "may choose to play a stronger role in the political system and political debates," the source said.

Stephanie Mlot

Reporter at PCMag

Stephanie began as a PCMag reporter in May 2012. She moved to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in journalism and mass communications.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.

Business News

Compass Agrees to Pay $57.5 Million to Settle Real Estate Commissions Lawsuits

The class action lawsuits accused Compass of violating antitrust law and conspiring to overcharge U.S. home sellers.

Business News

Jerry Seinfeld Is Now Reportedly a Billionaire — Here's Where His Wealth Comes From

Seinfeld also boasts an impressive real estate portfolio.

Business News

X Is Losing Users and Struggling to Attract Creators, According to New Data

The company, which is owned by Elon Musk, says that 1.7 million people join the platform every day.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.