Will Mark Zuckerberg run for president in 2020?

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last updated 6 January 2017

Mark Zuckerberg 2020? It might not be so far-fetched. The Facebook founder has made quite a few moves in the past six months that look like someone preparing a political campaign, Wired points out.

In addition to Zuckerberg's New Year's resolution to "get out and talk to more people about how they're living, working, and thinking about the future," the billionaire and former atheist has also come out as believing religion is "very important." "Given that it's accepted wisdom in American politics that someone who is not religious can never be elected president of the United States, could this be #positioning?" Wired wonders.

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In June during Facebook's annual meeting, company shareholders voted to approve a restructuring of Facebook stock that would ensure Zuckerberg keeps his majority ownership even if the company issues more shares … But buried in the public filing is one big exception, one that Zuckerberg reportedly fought hard for: he can take a leave of absence from Facebook and still retain voting control of the company if he goes to work for the government. More specifically, as long as Zuckerberg owns enough of Facebook — 30 percent or more of shares he owned at the time of signing the stock restructuring agreement — he can serve in government. And if he owns less than 30 percent, he just needs board approval. If he doesn't get that, he can still serve in public office if the government position has a two-year term limit. (A Facebook representative confirmed this is how the agreement works.) [Wired]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.