The Beginnings of Facebook: What Became of Zuckerberg's Early Colleagues

Meta's stock plunged 10% following its latest quarterly earnings report, primarily due to escalating expenses associated with data centers and servers. This financial pressure echoes challenges faced in Facebook's nascent stages, when infrastructure costs compelled a young, cash-strapped Mark Zuckerberg to seek funding from his Harvard classmate, Eduardo Saverin.

Saverin, hailing from a wealthy Brazilian family, became Facebook's first CFO after lending Zuckerberg $1,000. His involvement also led to a legal dispute with the Winklevoss twins. Ben Mezrich's book "Accidental Billionaires" highlighted Saverin's perspective, as he was willing to speak with the author, unlike Zuckerberg. Saverin initially held 30% of the company's shares, with Zuckerberg owning 65% and Dustin Moskovitz holding 5%.

As Facebook gained momentum, securing Sean Parker and Peter Thiel as advisors and investors, Saverin was sidelined. A legal maneuver by Zuckerberg diluted Saverin's stake. Ultimately, in an out-of-court settlement, Saverin received 4% of Facebook. He later moved to Singapore, establishing the venture capital firm B Capital, which now manages $12 billion. Saverin's net worth, largely derived from Meta stock, is estimated at $33 billion, making him the wealthiest Brazilian. He also invests in tech and health startups.

Dustin Moskovitz, Facebook's initial chief technology officer, departed the company in 2008. He co-founded Asana, a cloud-based project management software, which went public in 2020. Moskovitz has since stepped down as CEO to focus on Asana's AI strategy. His net worth is approximately $10 billion, primarily from Meta shares. He is a significant philanthropist through his Good Ventures foundation and a prominent advocate for the effective altruism movement, alongside philosopher Peter Singer.