Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly trash-talked his former prime lieutenant Sheryl Sandberg throughout his go to to Mar-a-Lago, blaming her for implementing controversial DEI initiatives at Fb that “encouraged employees’ self-expression in the workplace.”
Zuckerberg, who has drawn criticism for cozying as much as the brand new administration, made the remark throughout a sit-down with President-elect Donald Trump’s advisors at his Florida retreat shortly after the Republican’s historic election victory in November, based on the New York Occasions.
The discussions on Nov. 27 — which together with Stephen Miller, who will take over as White Home deputy chief of workers — coated a spread of of hot-button matters such because the administration’s anticipated crackdowns on immigration, and variety, fairness, and inclusion efforts, the Occasions reported.
Miller advised Zuckerberg that the billionaire mogul he had “an opportunity to help reform America, but it would be on Trump’s terms,” based on the Occasions.
The 40-year-old tech tycoon was “amenable” and mentioned that he and his prime executives at Meta would “do nothing to obstruct the Trump agenda,” people conversant in the assembly advised the Occasions.
Zuckerberg reportedly threw Sandberg below the bus for pushing the “inclusivity initiative” and mentioned that Meta would scrap its DEI insurance policies.
“[Zuckerberg] said new guidelines and a series of layoffs amounted to a reset and that more changes were coming,” the Occasions reported, citing somebody with information of the assembly.
Meta, Zuckerberg insisted, would focus “solely on building tech products,” the Occasions reported.
After the assembly, Zuckerberg dispatched his prime deputies to Mar-a-Lago to tell Trump transition officers of deliberate modifications at Meta, based on the Occasions report.
Zuckerberg, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, has instituted a wholesale makeover at Meta in latest weeks following his assembly with Miller.
He laid off about 5% of its workforce, ended third social gathering fact-checking and censorship applications and did away with DEI initiatives.
Meta additionally appointed new board members, together with pro-Trump UFC President Dana White, Stellantis chairman John Elkann and former Microsoft govt Charlie Songhurst.
The Publish has sought remark from Meta, the Trump transition crew and Sandberg.
Sandberg, 54, served as Meta’s COO for 14 years, spearheading improvement of the Fb promoting juggernaut that contains the huge bulk of Meta’s income.
She shockingly give up in 2022. On the time, she claimed she wished to offer extra power to philanthropy, girls’s advocacy and private tasks.
However experiences steered that her departure stemmed from elevated regulatory scrutiny of Meta’s enterprise practices in addition to inner tensions over content material moderation, political promoting and company tradition shifts.
Whereas she didn’t publicly hyperlink her exit to those challenges, her affect throughout the firm had reportedly waned as Zuckerberg shifted Meta’s focus towards the metaverse and cost-cutting measures.
A authorities official within the Treasury Division throughout the Clinton administration, Sandberg wrote the 2013 e-book “Lean in,” which inspires girls to be extra aggressive in climbing the company ladder.
Earlier than Zuckerberg employed her to assist run Fb, Sandberg helped to develop Google’s advert program whereas working for the search engine.
