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Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta loses $3 billion after Instagram, Facebook

On the fateful Tuesday of March 5th, 2024, Meta, the powerhouse behind leading social media platforms, grappled with a widespread global outage that reverberated across its extensive user base, numbering in the billions. As the digital landscape temporarily darkened for users worldwide, the financial toll on the tech giant became apparent, with an estimated loss amounting to a staggering $3 billion, as outlined in a report by India Today.

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta loses $3 billion after Instagram

The ramifications of this unexpected outage extended beyond user inconvenience to the very heart of Meta’s financial standing. In the aftermath, the company’s stocks recorded a notable decline, closing in the red with a 1.6% dip, settling at USD 490.22 during the trading session on March 5th, as reported by NASDAQ. This sudden market reaction underscores the immediate impact of the outage on investor confidence and raises pivotal questions about Meta’s resilience in the face of such unforeseen challenges. Let’s delve into the intricacies of this unprecedented event and explore its far-reaching implications for both Meta and the broader digital landscape.

In a dramatic turn of events on March 5th, 2024, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Meta, found himself grappling with significant financial repercussions as the tech giant experienced a widespread global outage affecting its social media platforms. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Zuckerberg incurred a staggering loss of over USD 2.79 billion in a single day, resulting in an adjusted net worth of USD 176 billion. Despite this substantial financial setback, he retained his position as the world’s fourth-richest person.

The outage didn’t spare Meta’s platforms, as the status dashboard indicated issues with the application programming interface for WhatsApp Business. Downdetector, a platform collating status reports from various sources, including users, recorded approximately 200 outage reports for WhatsApp. Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Messenger faced a global outage lasting over 30 minutes, leaving users worldwide struggling to log into their accounts.

Amid the outage chaos, Elon Musk seized the opportunity to mock Meta with a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), humorously declaring the reliability of his servers for those fortunate enough to read his post. This lighthearted jab triggered immediate reactions on the platform.

Zuckerberg’s recent financial rollercoaster began in February 2024 when Meta’s quarterly results surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, causing a surge in his net worth by USD 27.1 billion. This propelled him to a record net worth of USD 169.5 billion, making him the world’s fourth-richest person, surpassing Bill Gates on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

In a strategic move, Meta announced a quarterly cash dividend of 50 cents a share for Class A and B common stock starting in March. With Zuckerberg holding approximately 350 million shares, he stands to receive around $175 million in each quarterly payment before taxes, as per Bloomberg’s data. This financial development adds an intriguing layer to Zuckerberg’s narrative, amid the challenges posed by the recent global outage.

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