GIVING AWAY WHAT YOU HAVE

When Mark Zuckerberg was 19 years old, he decided to create a computer program that would allow college students to get to know one another. In a short time, more and more students started using the program. The program was not only for his college but also other colleges which started using it too in a short time. Today, 600 million people use Zuckerberg's program. The program, called Facebook, has made 26-year-old Zuckerberg a billionaire entrepreneur.

Mark was born in 1984 in New York. His life was filled with technology since his childhood. His father's dentistry practice, which was in the family home, used several computers, and the Zuckerbergs had various electronic devices in the house. When Mark was very young, he began experimenting with computer programming. In 1996, Mark built his first program. With that program, computers in his dad's office could receive and send messages to others so that the office staff could communicate.

Zuckerberg studied both computer science and psychology at Harvard University. In his spare time, he continued to create computer programs. On February 4, 2004 Zuckerberg launched Facebook. He wanted his friends to be able to share information about themselves by creating profiles showing their interests, photos, and more. It took him only a week to develop Facebook. Facebook can be called the beginning of social networking. People wanted to be in contact with other people who shared their interests. The use of Facebook soon spread beyond college campuses and into homes around the world.

Last year Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Facebook, announced that he and his wife would give 99 percent of their Facebook shares to charitable purposes.

The pledge was made in an open letter to their new-born daughter, Max, who was born about a week ago.

Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, said they were forming a new organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, to manage the money. “We will focus on personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities,” they wrote.

Mr. Zuckerberg’s plans are the latest sign of a growing interest in philanthropy among Silicon Valley’s young billionaires. Philanthropy is the practice of giving money and helping people who are poor or in trouble. They want to give away their money while they are still young. Mr. Zuckerberg is 33, and Dr. Chan is 31.

Mr. Gates and his wife, Melinda, congratulated Mr. Zuckerberg and Dr. Chan. “The example you’re setting today is an inspiration to us and the world,” they said. “We can be sure that Max and every child born today will grow up in a world that is better than the one we know now. As you say, ‘Seeds planted now will grow.”