The Chase Center in San Francisco was buzzing on Tuesday evening, but it wasn’t for a Golden State Warriors game. Instead, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage in front of thousands of fans for a candid chat with David Rosenthal and Ben Gilbert, hosts of the Acquired podcast. It was an evening of light-hearted jokes and serious reflection, where Zuckerberg made it clear—his days of apologising are over.
Zuckerberg opened with a joke, saying he might have to return for another podcast episode to apologise for whatever he was about to say. Quickly, though, he followed up by saying that phase of his life is behind him, signalling a shift in how he approaches criticism, especially around Meta’s past controversies.
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The Meta founder has been gradually rebranding himself. From raising cattle in Hawaii to sporting a more relaxed look, including a T-shirt he helped design with Greek lettering reading “learning through suffering,” Zuckerberg’s image has evolved. On stage, he made a point to discuss how much he’s changed—both personally and in business.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that he had taken on too much blame for certain issues in the past, particularly around Facebook’s role in political controversies, including the 2016 U.S. election.
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Now, Zuckerberg says he’s found a better approach to political matters. In August, he apologised to House Republicans for Meta’s handling of COVID-19 misinformation, saying he regretted not speaking out more against government pressure. Going forward, Zuckerberg plans to push back against such demands if they arise again.
While social media remains at the heart of Meta’s business, Zuckerberg expressed excitement about other projects. He’s ready to focus on making more “awesome” products beyond social media. Yet, with billions using Meta’s platforms daily, content moderation and difficult decisions will always remain part of the job.