Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg with the UFC legends Israel Adesanya, left, and Alex Volkanovski. Dianna “Mick” McDougall for Insider; Mark Zuckerberg Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a passion for extreme sports and other high-risk activities. He sustained an injury last year while training in mixed martial arts. Now, Meta is cautioning investors about the potential impact of Zuckerberg’s risk tolerance on the company. After facing significant challenges in recent years, Meta’s financial performance has improved with revenue growth, increased profits, and a record high stock price. Despite these positive developments, Meta has highlighted a potential concern: the possibility of Mark Zuckerberg experiencing harm or worse, in an extreme sporting event or activity. This warning was conveyed in a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing released this week. In the company’s recent annual report, it informed investors about Zuckerberg’s penchant for engaging in risky recreational activities and the potential implications for the company if he were to sustain an injury. Meta’s 10-K filing, listed under “risk factors,” stated: “We currently depend on the continued services and performance of our key personnel, including Mark Zuckerberg. Mr. Zuckerberg and certain other members of management participate in various high-risk activities, such as combat sports, extreme sports, and recreational aviation, which carry the risk of serious injury and death.” The reference is presumably to Zuckerberg’s well-documented involvement in various adventurous pursuits, such as mixed martial arts, hydrofoiling, and CrossFit. Additionally, it was reported that he is pursuing a pilot’s license and had suffered a torn ACL during a training fight last year. Zuckerberg is not the only tech executive known to partake in extreme activities. For instance, Elon Musk, his industry counterpart, frequently pilots his own aircraft and had playfully challenged Zuckerberg to a cage match, a proposal that generated substantial attention but did not materialize. However, Zuckerberg appears to be the only CEO of a major tech company to explicitly acknowledge the potential impact of his risky hobbies on investors. For example, Tesla, led by Musk, acknowledges its high reliance on the CEO’s services without mentioning the potential risks associated with Musk’s personal activities. Other companies such as Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon simply emphasize the importance of their CEOs or refrain from mentioning them altogether. Meta representatives did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment. It is important to note that the “risk factor” section of any public company’s disclosures, although informative, may not be of primary concern to most investors. Its purpose is to protect the company from potential liability in the event of unforeseen circumstances. In Meta’s case, it is evident that the company takes Zuckerberg’s safety seriously, as demonstrated by its significant expenditure of $15 million in 2022 on personal security for him and his family. While it is unlikely that Meta anticipates a severe injury befalling Zuckerberg, the company has forthrightly acknowledged the possibility, as a precautionary measure.
