Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called for a universal basic income Thursday during his commencement speech at Harvard’s graduation ceremony.
“We should have a society that measures progress not just by economic metrics like GDP, but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful,” Zuckerberg said while looking out at the crowd. “We should explore ideas like universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try new things.”
The tech wunderkind said that, unlike himself, not everyone gets the opportunity to strive for a life goal while unshackled by the fears of failure.
“And yes, giving everyone the freedom to pursue purpose isn’t free. People like me should pay for it. Many of you will do well and you should too,” Zuckerberg continued. “That’s why Priscilla and I started the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and committed our wealth to promoting equal opportunity.” (RELATED: Despite Regularly Giving Away Money, Zuckerberg Adds $9 Billion To Net Worth Every Year)
Universal basic income is a form of social security in which the government systematically provides its citizens with a stipend, regardless of their income or wellbeing.
Several think tanks and nonprofits are studying and advocating for the conceptual policy, often as a purported solution to the growing pervasiveness of industrial robots in the workplace. (RELATED: Study: Robots Actually Hurt Wages, Stoke Pay Inequality)
Socioeconomic policy wasn’t the only topic that Zuckerberg broached during the ceremony. The multi-billionaire, and fifth richest person in the world, decided to take a jab at himself.
“If I get through this speech, it’ll be the first time I actually finish something at Harvard,” Zuckerberg jested towards the beginning of the speech, alluding to the fact that he never received any type of degree from the university until that point.
Zuckerberg also used portions of his time at Harvard to reminisce and rehash old memories.
Earlier in the week, he gave a live tour of where the whole social media company turned tech conglomerate conceptually began: his dorm room. There, Zuckerberg and his wife spoke to current students (some of whom were former interns at Facebook) and recounted stories, like his past affinity for Hot Pockets.
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