Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Meta Platforms Inc., sold over $733 million worth of company shares in the first quarter of 2025, just weeks before former President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs. The disclosure, reported by Bloomberg and based on data from Washington Services, has sparked renewed scrutiny of executive stock trading amid geopolitical developments.
Zuckerberg offloaded approximately 1.1 million shares between January and March through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and its affiliated foundation, operating under a 10b5-1 trading plan he established in August 2024. The structured plan allows executives to sell shares on a predetermined schedule, ostensibly to avoid allegations of insider trading.
The Meta CEO’s divestments coincided with a turbulent stretch for U.S. equity markets. Following Trump’s tariff declaration, tech stocks—including Meta—took a significant hit, and Zuckerberg’s net worth fell to $178 billion, its lowest point this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.
Zuckerberg’s share sales continued into April, adding another $565 million to the total value sold, offset by an exercise cost of about $100 million.
He was not alone in reducing his holdings ahead of the market volatility. Other high-profile executives also executed major stock sales in the months surrounding the tariff announcement. Oracle Corp. CEO Safra Catz sold $705 million in stock options in January, while Palo Alto Networks Inc. CEO Nikesh Arora offloaded 2.36 million shares worth over $432 million over several months.
Max de Groen, a director at Nutanix Inc. and partner at Bain Capital, sold 5.5 million shares for around $410 million. Chuck Davis, a director at Axis Capital Holdings Ltd. and co-CEO of Stone Point Capital, sold 4.3 million shares totaling nearly $400 million.
Palantir Technologies Inc. President Stephen Cohen sold 4.06 million shares valued at approximately $337 million during a sharp stock surge between January and February.
JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon sold 866,361 shares worth $233.8 million on February 20 and followed up with an additional $31.5 million in share sales in April, bringing his total divestment for the year to over $265 million.
Eric Lefkofsky, Chairman and CEO of Tempus AI Inc., sold more than 4 million shares worth $231.5 million under a structured plan that gradually reduces his stake.
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos sold 199,063 shares worth $194.9 million, while Dutch Bros Inc. co-founder Travis Boersma sold 2.5 million shares in February for nearly $190 million.
The widespread divestments have reignited concerns over the timing of executive trades, particularly as they coincide with sensitive shifts in U.S. trade policy. While many of these sales were made under established trading plans, the scale and timing of the transactions continue to fuel debate over transparency and regulatory safeguards.
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