Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and chief executive of Meta Platforms, saw his personal fortune fall by nearly $18 billion on Thursday, following a steep drop in the company’s stock price triggered by a broader market sell-off linked to newly announced U.S. tariffs.
Meta’s stock closed at $531.62, down 8.96% for the day, its worst single-day performance in nearly five years.
The sharp decline shaved Zuckerberg’s net worth to $184.1 billion, a loss of 8.85% in just 24 hours, according to real-time data compiled by Forbes.
He now ranks third among the world’s wealthiest individuals.
The losses come as global markets react to sweeping tariffs unveiled by the White House, which include a 10% baseline levy on imports from all countries and targeted hikes of up to 25% on specific goods, including foreign-made automobiles.
Analysts say the tech sector, which has enjoyed years of uninterrupted growth, is particularly vulnerable to shifting geopolitical and trade dynamics.
What you should know
Meta’s decline mirrors a wider rout in the equity markets. The Nasdaq Composite fell 5.7%, marking its most volatile session since the early days of the pandemic.
The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 4.4% and 3.7%, respectively, as investors fled risk assets in favor of safer holdings like U.S. Treasury bonds.
- For Meta, the timing is especially dissonant. Just weeks ago, the company was riding high on strong fourth-quarter earnings, which beat expectations with $8.02 earnings per share, supported by a 21% year-over-year revenue increase to $48.4 billion.
- Growth in digital advertising, coupled with expanding user bases across its platforms—including Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Meta AI—bolstered optimism among analysts.
- At its recent peak of $740.89, Meta’s stock reflected confidence in the company’s pivot toward artificial intelligence and new revenue streams.
- But Thursday’s fall, which pulled shares below the 200-day moving average, is being viewed as a potential turning point for investor sentiment.
- Technical analysts point to $530 as a crucial support level. Having acted as resistance in mid-2024, it could now serve as a psychological floor. But if the stock fails to hold above it, further downside could test longer-term supports near $505 or even $480.
- Despite the day’s dramatic losses, Meta remains fundamentally strong, with over 3.3 billion daily active users across its app family and growing adoption of its AI-powered products. Threads, its answer to text-based social media, recently surpassed 320 million monthly active users, while Meta AI is now used by more than 700 million people monthly.
Zuckerberg, who owns approximately 13% of Meta, has long committed to giving away 99% of his stake in the company over his lifetime.
In the short term, however, all eyes will be on April 23, when Meta reports its first-quarter results. Analysts expect earnings per share between $5.19 and $5.33 on revenues of up to $41.8 billion.
Whether Meta can weather the current storm may well depend on its ability to reassure investors that its growth trajectory remains intact despite a shifting macroeconomic landscape.
