Meta employees were ‘betrayed, horrified' by Mark Zuckerberg's MAGA makeover: Report
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's growing closeness with the Trump administration and his appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast left his employees and coworkers horrified and feeling betrayed, a report by the Financial Times said. On the podcast, Zuckerberg compared MMA training to workplace dynamics(Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)
Forty-five anonymous people who know or have worked with Zuckerberg told the news outlet that his apparent transformation into "MAGA Mark," as some at the company have begun calling him, has been a radical makeover.
"We are, they say, witnessing a Revenge of the Nerds-style midlife crisis. For Zuckerberg to so theatrically align himself with the Maga movement and the "manosphere", a constellation of anti-woke, alpha male influencers, seemed like a total break from his image as a supporter of social justice. In interviews, current and former staff used language such as "grieving", "horror" and "betrayal" to describe how they felt," the report said.
Appearing on the Joe Rogan podcast, Zuckerberg made controversial comments, such as calling corporate America "culturally neutered" and calling for more "masculine energy" in workplaces. 'He saw Elon Musk was popular'
The comments triggered a wave of internal backlash at Meta, with a few executives even raising the issue at a company meeting. However, the Meta boss reportedly dismissed the concerns. "He basically said: 'If you don't like it, tough s**t'," one Meta staffer told Financial Times.
Zuckerberg's appearance and tone have changed along with his tone. Shearling coats and gold chains have replaced the plain grey T-shirts and hoodies. The buzz cut has been swapped with a ginger mullet.
On the podcast, Zuckerberg compared MMA training to workplace dynamics, saying it's better to channel aggression constructively than suppress it. "In a lot of the corporate world, I think there's this bias where you think that aggression or intensity is inherently bad. But it's not. I actually think it's useful. You want to be able to channel that energy," he said.
Some staffers believe Mark Zuckerberg grew frustrated that Elon Musk was widely seen as the bold, visionary innovator, while he wasn't given the same recognition. "He saw that Elon Musk was popular among the tech bros. There was a push to make him cool. The core of the Social Network movie is true — he just wants people to like him," an insider said, in the report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
SDPI takes out march, CPM terms it ‘Taliban style'
Kannur: The suicide of Razeena, 40, at Kayalod following moral policing by a group of youths took a political turn on Saturday with activists of SDPI the political wing of banned Popular Front of India (PFI) taking out a rally to pledging support to the accused. CPM blamed SDPI for 'Taliban-style' moral policing that led the woman take the extreme step. SDPI workers took out a protest march to the Pinarayi police station alleging that three SDPI activists were arrested by framing false case against them over the death of Razeena. The march which began from Pinarayi town was blocked by the police near the station. SDPI district general secretary Mustafa Narath inaugurated the march. Mustafa said the deceased woman and the arrested youths are relatives. "The youths had just tried to settle a family issue and they never engaged in moral policing. But the youths were arrested by registering false case as they were activists of SDPI," he said. He demanded the release of the youths by withdrawing the case charged against them. Meanwhile, CPM Kannur district secretary K K Ragesh criticised SDPI over the issue. He said the woman tragically died by suicide following moral policing by a group of SDPI workers. "It was the clear example of SDPI's Taliban model moral policing. They brutally punished the woman and her friend for talking on public place. Such moral policing could not be allowed in Kerala," he said. Ragesh refuted SDPI's claims that Razeena's male friend was a DYFI member. "SDPI is using Goebbelsian propaganda tactic," said Ragesh, alleging that UDF is supporting religious fundamentalists like SDPI to grow in Kerala. The Congress is keeping silent over the issue, he added. Meanwhile, police registered a case against five people based on a complaint lodged by Rahees, a friend of Razeena. As per the FIR, Muhashir, Faisal, Rafnaz, Suneer and Zakaria were booked on charges of unlawful assembly and assault. The accused had confronted Razeena and Rahees while they were talking. Rahees further denied the allegation of Razeena's family that he extorted money from
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Microsoft and OpenAI may call off their partnership: What is the biggest reason of dispute between the two companies
Microsoft is prepared to abandon high-stakes negotiations with OpenAI over their multibillion-dollar partnership as the ChatGPT maker pursues conversion to a for-profit company, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The software giant has considered halting complex talks with the $300 billion AI startup if critical issues, including Microsoft's future stake size, remain unresolved. The two companies had issued a joint statement emphasizing their "long-term, productive partnership" and expressing optimism about continuing to "build together for years to come." However, the Financial Times reports that Microsoft would rely on its existing commercial contract through 2030 if negotiations fail, unless offered terms equal to or better than current arrangements. Revenue-sharing deal at center of dispute Under their current agreement established in 2019, Microsoft holds exclusive rights to sell OpenAI's models and receives 20% of revenues up to $92 billion. The companies have battled over Microsoft's equity stake in a restructured OpenAI, with discussions ranging from 20% to 49% ownership in exchange for Microsoft's $13 billion investment. OpenAI faces a year-end deadline to complete its corporate conversion or risk losing billions in investor funding, including a potential $10 billion reduction from SoftBank's $30 billion commitment. The transformation requires Microsoft's approval and faces legal challenges from Elon Musk and former OpenAI employees. Diversification strategy emerges Microsoft has begun diversifying beyond OpenAI models, reflecting CEO Satya Nadella's belief that leading AI models will become commoditized. The company recently made Musk's xAI model Grok available to cloud customers, signaling reduced dependence on OpenAI technology. The partnership strain extends to computing infrastructure, with former Microsoft executives noting significant friction over OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's demands for faster access to more powerful systems. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now OpenAI has since signed deals with CoreWeave and Oracle for additional capacity, reducing its exclusive reliance on Microsoft's Azure platform. One Microsoft-adjacent source suggested the company views the "status quo" as acceptable, questioning what Microsoft gains by surrendering revenue rights for equity ownership.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Meta employees were ‘betrayed, horrified' by Mark Zuckerberg's MAGA makeover: Report
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's growing closeness with the Trump administration and his appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast left his employees and coworkers horrified and feeling betrayed, a report by the Financial Times said. On the podcast, Zuckerberg compared MMA training to workplace dynamics(Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg) Forty-five anonymous people who know or have worked with Zuckerberg told the news outlet that his apparent transformation into "MAGA Mark," as some at the company have begun calling him, has been a radical makeover. "We are, they say, witnessing a Revenge of the Nerds-style midlife crisis. For Zuckerberg to so theatrically align himself with the Maga movement and the "manosphere", a constellation of anti-woke, alpha male influencers, seemed like a total break from his image as a supporter of social justice. In interviews, current and former staff used language such as "grieving", "horror" and "betrayal" to describe how they felt," the report said. Appearing on the Joe Rogan podcast, Zuckerberg made controversial comments, such as calling corporate America "culturally neutered" and calling for more "masculine energy" in workplaces. 'He saw Elon Musk was popular' The comments triggered a wave of internal backlash at Meta, with a few executives even raising the issue at a company meeting. However, the Meta boss reportedly dismissed the concerns. "He basically said: 'If you don't like it, tough s**t'," one Meta staffer told Financial Times. Zuckerberg's appearance and tone have changed along with his tone. Shearling coats and gold chains have replaced the plain grey T-shirts and hoodies. The buzz cut has been swapped with a ginger mullet. On the podcast, Zuckerberg compared MMA training to workplace dynamics, saying it's better to channel aggression constructively than suppress it. "In a lot of the corporate world, I think there's this bias where you think that aggression or intensity is inherently bad. But it's not. I actually think it's useful. You want to be able to channel that energy," he said. Some staffers believe Mark Zuckerberg grew frustrated that Elon Musk was widely seen as the bold, visionary innovator, while he wasn't given the same recognition. "He saw that Elon Musk was popular among the tech bros. There was a push to make him cool. The core of the Social Network movie is true — he just wants people to like him," an insider said, in the report.
