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 “inspired staff’ self-expression within the office.”
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, in keeping with the New York Instances.
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 subjects such because the administration’s anticipated crackdowns on immigration, and variety, fairness, and inclusion efforts, the Instances reported.
Miller advised Zuckerberg that the billionaire mogul he had “a chance to assist reform America, however it will be on Trump’s phrases,” in keeping with the Instances.
The 40-year-old tech tycoon was “amenable” and mentioned that he and his prime executives at Meta would “do nothing to hinder the Trump agenda,” people acquainted with the assembly advised the Instances.
Zuckerberg reportedly threw Sandberg below the bus for pushing the “inclusivity initiative” and mentioned that Meta would scrap its DEI insurance policies.
“[Zuckerberg] mentioned new pointers and a sequence of layoffs amounted to a reset and that extra modifications had been coming,” the Instances reported, citing somebody with information of the assembly.
Meta, Zuckerberg insisted, would focus “solely on constructing tech merchandise,” the Instances reported.
After the assembly, Zuckerberg dispatched his prime deputies to Mar-a-Lago to tell Trump transition officers of deliberate modifications at Meta, in keeping with the Instances report.
Zuckerberg, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, has instituted a wholesale makeover at Meta in current weeks following his assembly with Miller.
He laid off about 5% of its workforce, ended third get together fact-checking and censorship packages 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 government Charlie Songhurst.
The Put up has sought remark from Meta, the Trump transition workforce and Sandberg.
Sandberg, 54, served as Meta’s COO for 14 years, spearheading growth of the Fb promoting juggernaut that contains the huge bulk of Meta’s income.
She shockingly stop in 2022. On the time, she claimed she wished to provide extra vitality to philanthropy, girls’s advocacy and private initiatives.
However reviews recommended that her departure stemmed from elevated regulatory scrutiny of Meta’s enterprise practices in addition to inside tensions over content material moderation, political promoting and company tradition shifts.
Whereas she didn’t publicly hyperlink her exit to those challenges, her affect inside 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 in the course of 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.