Before he found success and wealth, Mark Zuckerberg found true love… and he still has it to this day! The Meta CEO has been in a committed relationship with Priscilla Chan since 2003, when they were both students at the prestigious Harvard University. The couple married in 2012—an announcement Mark famously made on Facebook—and they now have three children together. A storybook romance, it seems. But who is the reserved woman by his side, whose presence appears to be not just supportive, but essential?
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Priscilla Chan: A woman of outstanding achievement
Of Chinese-Vietnamese heritage, 40-year-old Priscilla grew up in a Boston suburb with her two younger sisters. Her parents had fled Vietnam in search of a better life in the United States. Before becoming the wife of one of the richest men in the world, Priscilla experienced the challenges that come with being the daughter of refugees. For years, she served as an interpreter for her Cantonese-speaking grandparents, while her parents juggled various low-paying jobs to support the family.
Her life changed in 2003, after attending Quincy High School, when she began studying biology at Harvard. There, she met the man who would become her life partner. Trilingual—fluent in English, Cantonese and Spanish—and considered the 'genius of the class' by her peers, she graduated from Harvard in 2007. She began her career teaching science at the private Harker School, then went on to study medicine at the University of California’s medical school the following year. She completed her training in 2012, earning her qualification as a paediatrician at the age of 26.
Mark Zuckerberg was a 'bit of a geek'
Would you believe Priscilla nearly missed out on the love story of her life? She has never been shy about saying so. The couple met at a student party. While it was love at first sight for Mark, the same couldn’t exactly be said for her. On one hand, there was Priscilla: the driven, top-of-the-class student with a clear vision for her future. On the other hand, there was Mark: a slightly awkward 'nerd' who didn’t seem to take his studies all that seriously.
In fact, in the first few minutes of meeting her, he told her he had just three days left at the university before likely being expelled, and he wanted to see her again before then. In an interview with The New Yorker, Priscilla recalled that, with a beer cup in hand featuring a reference to a computer programming language, he came across as 'a bit of a geek, a bit of an odd one'. Still, she agreed to give him a chance—though not without some hesitation:
For me, it was like he had the word stop written across his forehead. I was the straight-A student. At the end of the day, he told me, ‘I’ve got an assignment to do at home, but I’d rather stay with you.’ (...) And I was thinking: ‘This guy has no ambition; he’s throwing away his exam.’
It turns out she made the right decision. Less than a year later, Mark launched TheFacebook, after some early experiments within Harvard. The platform’s near-instant success made him the world’s youngest billionaire at just 23. This rapid rise allowed the couple to live in great comfort. While still in medical school, Priscilla moved in with Mark in a house in Palo Alto—quite the lifestyle for a student!
Just a few days after qualifying as a paediatrician in 2012, she married Mark in a small, private ceremony with only 100 guests. So low-key was the celebration that many of the attendees didn’t even realise it was a wedding—they believed they were attending a graduation party for Priscilla. And although she became the wife of a billionaire, she has always insisted on keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She’s consistently expressed a desire to live simply, despite the luxuries money could afford.
From paediatrician to businesswoman
Together, Priscilla and Mark launched theChan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2015, a private foundation aimed at eradicating all diseases by the end of the century. To support this mission, the couple pledged to donate 99% of their Facebook shares over time. That same year, they welcomed their first daughter, Maxima. In 2017, they announced the birth of their second daughter, August, and in 2023, their youngest, Aurelia, was born.
Today, with Mark heavily involved in his role as CEO of Meta, Priscilla has taken on the leadership of the foundation. She personally approves projects and investments. In 2016, she also founded the Primary School in Palo Alto, which provides educational and healthcare support to children from underprivileged backgrounds—all alongside her ongoing career as a paediatrician. A life that is both extraordinary and down-to-earth, grounded in simplicity and humility.
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag FR.
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Sources used:
CNBC: How nearly being expelled from Harvard led Mark Zuckerberg to meet the ‘most important’ person he knows
The List: Weird Things We Can't Ignore About Mark Zuckerberg's Marriage
