Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is known more for his accomplishments in the tech industry than his personal style, but it looks like the billionaire is finally taking steps (albeit small ones) toward becoming a fashion icon.
Zuckerberg — who’s now worth $177 billion, per Forbes — burst onto the tech scene as a young coding prodigy responsible for the popular social media platform Facebook. All eyes were on him even in his early 20s, and the public quickly noted his laid-back style that consisted mostly of gray t-shirts.
Today, as a 40-year-old father and the head of a tech company that has expanded far beyond friend requests and pokes, Zuckerberg’s look is again a topic of conversation.
In April, he debuted a chain necklace with his outfits, and the internet ate it up. Zuckerberg got the meme treatment and comments from his nearly 14 million followers complimenting him on his “drip,” or style.
From lavish weddings and a big birthday bash in May to sitting ringside at UFC fights, his Instagram photos seem a little like those of an influencer.
Here’s a look at Zuckerberg’s style over the years.
Zuckerberg’s style as Facebook took off was pretty normal for a twenty-something in the early aughts.
He dropped out of Harvard University to work on Facebook full-time in 2005, and his look at the time was that of a college student heading to class.
In the picture above, he paired his quarter-zip pullover with a pair of blue jeans — jeans which would become a recurring theme in Zuckerberg’s life as a public figure.
The subdued outfit didn’t really match the feisty attitude Zuckerberg had during the early days of Facebook. He infamously carried business cards that read, “I’m CEO, Bitch.”
He’s one of the tech execs who influenced the casual dress code of the industry.
Eventually, Zuckerberg became known for his gray t-shirts and hoodies.
The jeans might have ranged from light to dark washes, but he almost always paired them with a hoodie and a comfortable pair of sneakers—he’s wearing Brooks tennis shoes in the photo above.
“I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community,” Zuckerberg said in a 2014 Q&A. “I feel like I’m not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life.”
Zuckerberg spent years wearing essentially the same outfit everyday.
The photos above were taken four years apart, but it might not be easy to tell. For over a decade, Zuckerberg wore the same thing over and over.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said during an appearance on “The Colin and Samir Show” that Zuckerberg spent many years “not wasting any energy on deciding what to wear.”
Instead, he just wore “the same thing every day for a long time as a lot of tech execs have done,” according to Mosseri.
“First day back after paternity leave. What should I wear?” he captioned a Facebook post that showed a rack full of the same gray shirts and dark gray hoodies in 2016.
As the years passed, Zuck found ways to elevate the “tech bro” uniform.
Around 2018, Zuckerberg’s style shifted, perhaps with his fashion meant to reflect his increasing wealth. According to Forbes, he was worth about $71 billion that year.
Instead of a basic shirt and hoodie, the Meta CEO started wearing expensive-looking cashmere sweaters and paired them with better-fitting jeans.
More recently, it appears he’s gotten more comfortable with switching up his clothing choices.
The pandemic blurred the lines of what exactly makes an outfit appropriate for work.
Returning to the office post-lockdown has spurred a new conversation about dress code, but when you’re the boss, those rules are likely a bit looser.
Zuckerberg is pictured above with Facebook’s then-chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, and the former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy advisor Kevin Sabet in 2021.
The trio had just left a session at the Sun Valley Conference, but Zuck looked especially casual next to his peers. He ditched the blue jeans for shorts and completed the outfit with slip-on sandals.
He appears to take more style risks when he’s traveling abroad.
Zuckerberg and Chan took a trip to Japan in February, and his vacation attire made major waves.
Months before his chain went viral, the shearling jacket he wore while in Japan caught the public’s attention. When he was out and about, his Instagram followers saw more of his off-duty style.
Again, it included a neutral top, fitted jeans, and a pair of sneakers — this time white Nike shoes.
The new jacket, a departure from his old hoodies, made for an iconic “jersey swap” picture, with Zuckerberg trading tops with another iconic figure in tech, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Occasionally, he swaps his casual clothes for a classic suit.
Some events call for more formal dress, and Zuckerberg isn’t too proud to push back on that.
For court appearances, luxurious weddings, and fancy ceremonies, he typically pulls out a classic black suit.
But for the March pre-wedding celebrations for members of India’s richest family, the Ambanis, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan wore all black, embellished with gold accents. He had a dragonfly on his lapel.
In 2024, Zuckerberg is going viral every few weeks for his new look.
The outfit he wore to his 40th birthday party in May cemented Zuckerberg’s new era in fashion. He wore a gold chain and a black T-shirt, but unlike his past shirt choices, it had a message.
The top reads “Carthago delenda est,” which translates to “Carthage must be destroyed,” a phrase famously attributed to Roman historian Cato the Elder. As Business Insider previously reported, it was a rallying cry within Facebook in 2016 when it was competing with Google.
He also previously explained that the new chains are a part of his “process” of designing a “long-term” chain engraved with a prayer he reads to his daughters.
His motive is endearing, and the internet’s obsession with the necklaces makes for a lot of viral content and positive attention.
“I love it so much,” Mosseri said in June.
The post Photos show Mark Zuckerberg’s style evolution — from hoodies to silver chains appeared first on Business Insider.
