Mark Zuckerberg's Mom Predicted It, His Sister Bet On It: The Story Behind Meta CEO's Harvard Dropout

Mark Zuckerberg's exit from Harvard University in 2004 has become one of the most famous college dropouts in tech history, but according to the Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO, it was hardly a surprise at home.

Friends And Family Expected Him To Leave Harvard

During a 2013 appearance at Y Combinator's Startup School, Zuckerberg reflected on his early college days and the fallout from Facemash, a website he built that allowed students to rate classmates' photos.

The project briefly overwhelmed Harvard's network and nearly got him expelled.

"My friends really thought that they were going to kick me out," Zuckerberg said, recalling that they even threw him a going-away party before any disciplinary decision was made.

That party ended up changing his life. "I actually met my wife at that party," Zuckerberg said, referring to Priscilla Chan.

His family shared similar expectations. Zuckerberg said his younger sister once bet she would graduate college before him, a wager she ultimately won.

"My mom later told me that she always knew I was going to leave college," he added, joking that his reaction was, "Oh thanks, Mom."

From Facemash To Facebook

Facemash was short-lived, but it planted the seeds for something much bigger.

Zuckerberg soon pivoted from the photo-rating concept to build Facebook, initially a digital photo directory limited to Harvard students.

The idea drew inspiration from printed "face books" used in campus dorms.

The platform quickly expanded to other universities and eventually to the general public, reshaping how people connect online. Zuckerberg left Harvard to focus on Facebook full time as the company gained rapid traction.

Returning To Harvard On His Own Terms

Zuckerberg returned to Harvard in 2011—not as a student, but as a CEO recruiting talent. He received a rock-star reception while pitching Facebook to students at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 2017, he returned again to deliver Harvard's commencement address, poking fun at his unfinished degree.

"I'm honored to be with you today because, let's face it, you accomplished something I never could," Zuckerberg said. "If I get through this speech, it'll be the first time I actually finish something at Harvard."

A Familiar Path In Big Tech

Zuckerberg is far from alone. Bill Gates left Harvard to build Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College before founding Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Larry Ellison quit two universities before starting Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) and Michael Dell left the University of Texas to grow Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL).

Today, Zuckerberg is worth an estimated $233 billion, ranking him fourth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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