Mark Zuckerberg once shared a pivotal piece of advice he received from legendary Apple Inc. co-founder and one of his mentors, Steve Jobs, which led him to travel to India.
Steve Jobs’ Advice During Uncertain Times
In 2015, Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Zuckerberg shared a little-known story about the early days of Facebook, when acquisition offers were on the table and pressure to sell was high.
He said mentors and investors debated whether the company should be sold.
During that period, he met Jobs, who encouraged him to reconnect with his vision by visiting a temple in India that the Apple co-founder had visited years earlier during his own period of reflection.
Zuckerberg said Jobs believed the experience could help clarify purpose and long-term thinking.
A Month Of Reflection In India
The Meta CEO said he traveled to India and spent nearly a month there.
He said observing how people connected and communicated reinforced his belief in Facebook’s mission to help build stronger global connections.
The trip, he said, reminded him why he started the company and strengthened his resolve to keep it independent.
Turning Down Buyout Offers
In 2006, reports indicated that after Zuckerberg rejected Viacom’s $750 million bid for Facebook, Yahoo followed with a $900 million offer.
The acquisition ultimately fell apart, and the company—now known as Meta —has since grown to a market capitalization of about $1.67 trillion.
Zuckerberg later acknowledged he did not approach the decision with advanced financial calculations. Instead, he focused on mission and long-term impact.
“I think if I sold this company, I’d just go build another company like this and I kind of like the one I have,” he said in a later interview, explaining why staying the course made sense to him.
In its latest quarter, Meta reported revenue of $59.89 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $58.30 billion. The company also posted adjusted earnings of $8.88 per share, exceeding estimates of $8.16 per share, according to Benzinga Pro.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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