61% Voting Power: How Much of Meta Does Mark Zuckerberg Own?

Meta Platforms shares surged 37% in September 2026, reaching a trading price above $720 by October. This market rally followed increased investor enthusiasm for Muse, an AI personal assistant capable of managing emails, creating to-do lists, and booking appointments, according to a report by TheStreet. As of October 6, 2026, the company’s closing price reached $738.88.

Mark Zuckerberg’s ownership stake in Meta

As of Meta’s 2026 Proxy statement, Mark Zuckerberg held 342.5 million shares of the company. This total includes 639,347 shares held by the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, in which Zuckerberg holds no financial interest. Following the conversion of 608,830 Class B shares into Class A shares during July and September 2026, Zuckerberg’s holdings consist of approximately 341,215,148 Class B shares. Based on the October 6, 2026, closing price of $738.88, these shares are valued at approximately $252.1 billion.

Voting power and control of the company

While Zuckerberg owns roughly 13.5% of Meta’s total outstanding shares, his control over the company remains absolute due to the structure of his stock. Class B shares carry 10 votes per share, compared to one vote per share for publicly traded Class A shares. By holding nearly all outstanding Class B shares, Zuckerberg retains approximately 61% of the company’s voting power. This structure ensures that he maintains final decision-making authority regardless of market volatility or regulatory pressures.

Comparison with other shareholders

Zuckerberg remains the largest individual shareholder at Meta by a significant margin. For comparison, Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox held 319,428 Class A shares, and Chief Operating Officer Javier Olivan held 136,685 Class A shares, according to the 2026 Proxy statement. Neither executive holds Class B shares, and both possess less than 1% of the company’s voting power.

Meta’s largest institutional investors also hold a smaller portion of influence than the founder. BlackRock, Inc. holds 157,849,942 Class A shares, representing 2.8% of total voting power, while FMR LLC (Fidelity) holds 134,555,687 Class A shares, representing 2.4% of total voting power.

Security costs drive Zuckerberg's total compensation

Zuckerberg receives an annual salary of $1 and does not participate in Meta’s bonus or equity incentive programs. However, his total reported compensation for 2025 was $25.1 million. Approximately 90% of this figure was attributed to personal security, including a $14 million annual security allowance and $8.5 million in costs for his residences and personal travel. The company also reported $2.5 million in expenses related to his personal use of private aircraft.

The 2026 corporate context

The company’s 2026 fiscal year has been marked by significant volatility. Earlier in the year, Meta initiated mass layoffs affecting 10% of its workforce, or roughly 8,000 employees, as part of a strategic pivot toward AI automation. In August 2026, the company reached a settlement regarding a social media lawsuit with 47 states. Under the terms of the agreement, Meta committed to paying up to $17.1 billion in fines and implementing additional child safety protections across its platforms.

All the while, Zuckerberg has retained voting control over the company. This has ensured that, despite business changes, regulatory pressures, and even market volatility, Zuckerberg’s vision for his company remains its future.

TheStreet

Zuckerberg founded the company in 2004 from his Harvard dorm room and led its transition to Meta Platforms in 2021, a valuation shift that remains supported by his continued control of the firm’s voting structure.