Which technology company founder was Forbes’ youngest self-made billionaire in 2008?

Mark Zuckerberg was Forbes’ youngest self-made billionaire in 2008.

Forbes placed Zuckerberg on its 2008 billionaire list after Facebook’s rapid growth increased the estimated value of his ownership stake. He was 23 at the time, making him the youngest self-made billionaire then recorded by the magazine. Facebook had been founded in 2004 while he was a student at Harvard University.

The company expanded from a university social network into a global platform supported primarily by advertising. Private-company valuation is more uncertain than the market value of a listed corporation, so Forbes had to use investment transactions and financial estimates when assessing Zuckerberg’s wealth.

Zuckerberg’s milestone is often confused with lists of the youngest billionaires overall, which may include heirs. “Self-made” distinguishes founders who created or built companies from people who inherited large fortunes. Facebook was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021, although Zuckerberg remains its founder and chief executive.