Meta quietly tried to block attorneys from asking Mark Zuckerberg about his massive fortune at the bombshell social media addiction trial in Los Angeles, according to court documents reviewed by The Post.
The owner of Instagram and Facebook made a confidential request to “shield Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder, CEO, and controlling shareholder, from the very same scrutiny that other witnesses have faced,” according to a filing unsealed last Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The plaintiffs allege that Zuckerberg — who currently ranks as the world’s fifth-richest person with a personal net worth of $231 billion, according to Bloomberg — turned a blind eye to rampant harm to teens caused by his apps in order to protect his profits.
“Meta cannot coherently argue that the magnitude of those holdings — the very figure that gives his financial interest its probative force — is somehow off limits,” attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote.
Meta’s request to quash the money questions remains under seal. It resulted in a partial victory for Meta, with California state Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl ruling that questions about Zuckerberg’s compensation and stock holdings were allowed, while specific questions related to his total net worth and assets like property and homes were prohibited.
“While Mark Zuckerberg’s financial standing is a matter of public record, based on the Court’s existing orders and established California law, it is not relevant to this case,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
Nevertheless, the 41-year-old tech tycoon still ended up getting grilled about his fortune when he took the stand on Feb. 18.
Mark Lanier, the attorney for the California woman identified as “KGM” who claims Meta’s apps wrecked her mental health, made a snarky mention of Zuckerberg’s “spending habits,” according to a transcript of the hearing.
Zuckerberg — who owns a 2,300-acre compound in Hawaii in addition to a $300 million superyacht and a Gulfstream jet — responded that the more Instagram succeeded, “the more I will be able to invest in science, research and causes like that” through his foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
“OK, and how much have you pledged towards helping with those people who have been hurt by social media?” Lanier shot back.
“That’s not a part of the focus of the foundation,” responded Zuckerberg, who jetted off with his wife to Milan Fashion Week after his trial appearance.
Both Meta and Google, which owns YouTube, are also accused in the landmark case of deliberately rolling out addictive features and failing to provide adequate safety resources.
In the filing, plaintiffs’ lawyers argued Zuckerberg’s vast wealth was “directly relevant to substantive issues the jury must resolve during the liability phase of this trial, including whether Meta’s conduct constituted malice.”
Mona Shafer Edwards / BACKGRID
Lanier also asked Zuckerberg if he remembered a January 2024 Senate hearing in which Sen. Josh Hawley asked him if he would commit to “set aside money to help the victims of social media.”
“Not specifically in those words,” Zuckerberg responded.
It was during that Senate hearing that Zuckerberg infamously stood up and apologized to the families of victims of social media harm, including some who had committed suicide after being targeted in online “sextortion” plots. When Hawley asked Zuckerberg if he planned to compensate the families, Zuckerberg replied, “I don’t believe so.”
During another exchange at the social media addiction trial, Lanier grilled Zuckerberg about the “extensive media training” he has received since founding Facebook and its role in protecting the company’s bottom line.
The self-admittedly awkward Zuckerberg quipped in response that he was “actually sort of well-known to be very bad at this.”
The Los Angeles jury trial is seen as a key bellwether for the industry. The outcome could decide how similar trials around the country are decided for years to come. The trial is expected to stretch into March.
As The Post exclusively reported earlier this month, a poll organized by the Tech Oversight Project found that 86% of Americans want Meta and Google held accountable for their role in a social media addiction crisis that has fueled anxiety, eating disorders and even suicide among kids.
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