Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Reveals Crazy Paranoid Streak
On March 31st, Zuckerberg sent out an internal memo announcing that Facebook's CFO Gideon Yu would be leaving the company. In his paranoia, Zuckerberg sent out slightly different versions of the memo to different people. Why? If an employee leaked the memo to the press, the Zuck would be able to identify the snitching employee by analyzing the language of the leak.
AllThingsD blogger Kara Swisher has noted that she received forwards of several versions of the memo. From one version to another, sentiments were phrased differently ("will report" vs. "will be reporting."), punctuation was changed, and contractions were swapped out for full phrases. This isn't the first time we've seen the trick, either. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, pulled the same move last month, as ValleyWag was quick to point out.
We'd say the famously anti-social Zuckerberg -- an obviously immature babe-in-the-corporate-woods at 24 -- may have finally lost it (unlike two famous also-young-tech-CEOs featured in the gallery below). Ultimately, however, here's all we care about: If Zuckerberg ends up leaving his company, will we get our old Facebook back? [From: ValleyWag and AllThingsD]
Jobs and Gates, When They Were Young
Can you recognize Bill Gates in this Microsoft company photo from 1978?
Gates and Wozniak show off the Apple I in 1976.
Bill Gates Strikes a Pose for 'Teen Beat' Photospread in 1983...Meow!
Steve Wozniak, left, and Steve Jobs hard at work at Apple in the early 1980s.
A dapper Steve Jobs with the groundbreaking Mac Classic computer in the 1980s.
This famous mugshot shows a young Bill Gates after getting caught for speeding outside Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1977.
Comments
69
Subscribe to comments(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 1:14PM
I do this all of the time. People lie, cheat and steal for selfish reasons. I just beat them to it.
BTW - I find it works very well
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 1:07PM
thanks aol for more fake news headlines!!
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 8:34AM
I just recently joined Facebook and will cancel my account, don't see all the excitement about it.
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 1:59PM
People are just to fricken crazy, weird and paranoid these days...Not just because of the economy, "just" because people are getting worse than ever ........verrrrry sad
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 2:02PM
Terrence O'Brien, you are a duche
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 2:16PM
Paranoid? Why because men want his stuff? Damn right they do. 1 out of 100 Americans are psycohpaths, according to the aMA. Parnoid, damn right he is. Someone wants his stuff and they are willing to destory him peronally, so he should kick butt........24 years old and a genius, damn right a whitel male wants his stuff (Manoff,Rockafellrs, Getty's), who else can we mane here. Greed his a god in America, that said, be as paranoird as you wanna be, kid, do your thing, take no prisoners. If you are a jerk, your Karma has arrived.
I do beleive men can be venon too any American who has a plan, they are jealousy sociopaths. Many of these Americans don't want to work ofr a pay check. They want to leach off of you.
Well, greed is a god alright and that god is kicking butt, jajajaja=lol
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 9:45PM
i would not buy stock in this company people ...
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 9:38PM
seems like a pretty clever idea to me
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 9:54PM
"Jobs and Gates, when they were young: 8 photos"
RE: Photo #2. It's Wozniak and JOBS, not GATES, as captioned. Sheesh!
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 11:36PM
Nah what he did was brillant, you see by keeping changing the 'memo's' you are in effect sending a unique document to a single person, then when that 'document' shows up on the internet or news, you can compare both the 'document' that you sent to each person, and the 'document' that was published. very smart move, the writer of this article lack the ability to figure that out.
(Unverified)Apr 6th 2009 11:38PM
Actually, to use the word paranoia requires that the fear is unreasonable and unwarranted. There is nothing documented in this article that would indicate either condition. Typical sensationalist claptrap, designed to grab attention and then leave any thought to continuity hanging.
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 9:24PM
OMG I love how the media manipulates these stories. Stories like this one are written as to how the media wants you to perceive it, crazy CEO or clever CEO. This is clearly an attempt by Zuckerberg to contain media leaks. So, guess who doesn't like that? The media. So the media tells you Zuckerberg is crazy and needs to step down. People please stop being manipulated by the media, the stories may be factually accurate, but this is an prime example of how the media manipulates the delivery of the story for their own personal gain.
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 12:44AM
"Crazy Paranoid Streak"? Uh, more like some of those in the media are fearful their little snitches are being rooted out. I guess they'll actually have to work for a few stories, instead of having them served up on a silver platter.
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 12:48AM
On no, he's paranoid and crazy.. He should "step down". We can have Obama send an Obamabot to fill his position and monitor facebook!
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 1:40AM
I like the comment I read on one newsfeed that called Facebook 'full of GEEZERS over 30'.
So, what is a 24 yr old doing running a GERIATRIC community?? (if in fact geezer can apply to the over 30-set which is news to me)
Could it be that Facebook didn't turn out to be THE hotspot for the 20-somethings he so wanted to attract but failed?
Could it be that he cannot CONTROL the GEEZERS?
Quite frankly his paranoia has made him the laughing stock of facebook for quite some time. (it tickles the 'geezers' in all the right places)
He's made his money, facebook can fold and another will take its place before the day is over......GEEZERS will always have a place to go.
He should retire to a little cabin in the woods and live like a hermit, far far far away from any internet connection.
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 2:16AM
HE WAS PARANOID?? HE MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN TO TAKE
HIS MEDS.
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 2:18AM
EVERY1 ON FACE BOOK IS OUT TO GET ME.
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 4:37AM
That IS FUNNY !!! He creates a company and because he does something that is not to someones liking they call for his head. Whoever did the suggestion should leave their position due to lack of common sense. What a Derr Derr.....
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 3:56AM
I am sending this email to all of you..the first to share it is at risk..you know what the risk is..is the risk worth the ends? so go ahead and send it out..see what happens, I am paranoid..I did not take my pills today..because of you people stole them...and believe me, I know who you are, I am watching you..
(Unverified)Apr 7th 2009 4:34AM
This is a version of the "Canary trap" that has been used by intelligence services, (OSS, CIA, NSA, etc.), since World war II. It is a classic tool for rooting out leaks, and discovering who is doing the leaking. Is the guy paranoid? Probably. But remember, even paranoids sometimes have people that are really out to get them and in business today, no company can afford to have it's employees releasing information whenever they feel like it.