Long before Facebook became a global social media giant, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg was already coding innovative tech as a preteen.
Early Coding Talent Sparks Innovation
Zuckerberg began experimenting with software at just around 10 years old.
"I used to mostly build games for myself," Zuckerberg recalled in a 2023 podcast with early Facebook investor Reid Hoffman. "I made this game, I remember about a snowball fight that I could play with my sisters, and I think the graphics were literally stick figures."
However, he recalled that he could get his sisters to play his homemade game because they preferred it over having an actual snowball fight outside in their New York neighborhood.
Why Zuckerberg Built His First Messaging Network
This early passion for programming quickly evolved into practical applications.
By age 12, Zuckerberg created ZuckNet, a messaging system that connected his family at home and helped his father's dental office communicate efficiently.
"It was basically our little network inside the Zuckerberg home and it was fun," he said. The program allowed staff to notify his dad of new patients without leaving their desks.
Adding, "Then, of course, AOL Instant Messenger came and then everyone just used that."
Ironically, AOL, once a dominant messaging platform, was eventually overshadowed by Zuckerberg's own creations, Facebook's Messenger and WhatsApp.
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Zuckerberg's Family Support Fuels Ambition
Zuckerberg's family played a pivotal role in supporting his early ventures.
His father, Edward Zuckerberg, reportedly provided a $100,000 check that helped fund the launch of Facebook, reported The Guardian.
Randi Zuckerberg, his sister, earlier reflected on their family dynamic, telling CNN, “When you have such a big family, you kind of have all of your companions built into your family unit,” she stated.
Earlier, it was also reported that Edward Zuckerberg even offered each of his children a choice between college and managing a McDonald's franchise, showing early encouragement for both business and education.
However, young Zuckerberg ultimately opted to attend Harvard University, though he later left the university in 2005.
Early Projects Hint At Future Success
Zuckerberg's innovation didn't stop with ZuckNet. In high school, he developed Synapse, a music recommendation platform similar to Pandora.
Both Microsoft Corporation and AOL expressed interest in acquiring the software, but Zuckerberg declined.
Meta Hits $51.24 Billion Revenue, Beats Estimates
Meta's current market value stands at $1.54 trillion.
The company reported diluted earnings per share of $1.05, which included a one-time, non-cash income tax charge of $15.93 billion, falling short of the estimated $6.68 per share.
On an adjusted basis, earnings per share rose to $7.25, according to Benzinga Pro.
Quarterly revenue reached $51.24 billion, surpassing Wall Street expectations of $49.38 billion and marking a 26% increase from $40.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
According to Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings, META is trending lower across short-, medium and long-term periods. See how it compares to other companies in the industry.
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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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