Politics

This Latest Zuckerberg Move Is Fueling Speculation He’s Running For Office

REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Chuck Ross Investigative Reporter
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Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly hired Hillary Clinton’s pollster, Joel Benenson, as a consultant, a move that is sure to add to the growing speculation that the Facebook founder is running for political office.

According to Politico, Zuckerberg, 33, hired Benenson to advise his and his wife’s charity, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have pledged to donate 99 percent of their net worth — which currently sits at $45 billion — to charity.

Zuckerberg, a California resident, has long been rumored to have political ambitions. His announcement earlier this year that he planned a cross-country tour to meet everyday Americans in all 50 states added to that speculation, and a series of personnel moves have further bolstered the theory.

As Politico notes, in January, Zuckerberg hired David Plouffe, Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign manager, to advise his family charity. He also recently hired Amy Dudley, former communications adviser to Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Clinton’s running mate, to serve as chief spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

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