Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Welcome Daughter Maxima
Cue the likes: Mark Zuckerberg is a dad!
The Facebook founder welcomed his first child, daughter Maxima Chan Zuckerberg, with wife Dr. Priscilla Chan, he announced Tuesday on Facebook.
“Priscilla and I are so happy to welcome our daughter Max into the world!” Zuckerberg, 31, wrote. The little one arrived early last week, weighing in at 7 lbs., 8 oz., and mom and baby are healthy and doing well.
Along with the birth announcement — which included a sweet photo of the new family of three — the proud new parents announced the foundation of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, an organization with the mission to advance human potential and promote equality. In an open letter to their daughter, the couple revealed they will contribute 99 percent of their Facebook shares — currently worth about $45 billion — during their lives to advance the cause, in addition to outlining their hopes for Max’s future.
Courtesy Mark Zuckerberg
“Your mother and I don’t yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future,” he writes. “Your new life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can explore it fully. You’ve already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in.”
Zuckerberg continues, “We will do our part to make this happen, not only because we love you, but also because we have a moral responsibility to all children in the next generation. We believe all lives have equal value, and that includes the many more people who will live in future generations than live today. Our society has an obligation to invest now to improve the lives of all those coming into this world, not just those already here.
“We’ll share more details in the coming months once we settle into our new family rhythm and return from our maternity and paternity leaves. We understand you’ll have many questions about why and how we’re doing this. As we become parents and enter this next chapter of our lives, we want to share our deep appreciation for everyone who makes this possible.”
The letter concludes with, “We can make progress towards these opportunities only by standing on the shoulders of experts — our mentors, partners and many incredible people whose contributions built these fields. And we can only focus on serving this community and this mission because we are surrounded by loving family, supportive friends and amazing colleagues. We hope you will have such deep and inspiring relationships in your life too.
“Max, we love you and feel a great responsibility to leave the world a better place for you and all children. We wish you a life filled with the same love, hope and joy you give us. We can’t wait to see what you bring to this world.”
https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/a-letter-to-our-daughter/10153375081581634?pnref=story
In July, the couple used the social media platform to reveal they were expecting a daughter following years of trying and three miscarriages.
“This will be a new chapter in our lives,” they wrote.
Months later, the glowing mom-to-be showed off her baby bump in a fitted red dress while attending the Chinese state dinner at the White House with Zuckerberg in September.
Days before his baby girl’s arrival, the philanthropist announced he would be taking a couple months of paternity leave immediately following the birth.
“Priscilla and I are starting to get ready for our daughter’s arrival,” Zuckerberg, who also shared sweet black-and-white pregnancy portraits shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz, wrote on Facebook.
“We’ve also been thinking about how we’re going to take time off during the first months of her life. This is a very personal decision, and I’ve decided to take 2 months of paternity leave when our daughter arrives.”
— Anya Leon