Tech leaders take the ice bucket challenge plus all you need to know about ALS

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, took the ice bucket challenge on Wednesday, a trend that may very soon extend to Tim Cook. These tech leaders are partaking in the viral sensation of dumping buckets of ice water on themselves to raise awareness about ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is a popular awareness campaign that began in late July, spreading rapidly through various forms of social media. Celebrities from entertainment and sports backgrounds had initially participated, and now the trend has hit Silicon Valley.

With Zuckerberg initiating the trend among tech leaders, a video was posted on his Facebook page showing him completing the challenge. Following the rules, the challenge can’t end with him; Zuckerberg had to nominate a few of his friends to follow suit within 24 hours to raise ALS awareness or contribute monetarily to the ALS Assn.

“That was really cold,” said Zuckerberg as he nominated Bill Gates, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and T-Mobile CEO John Legere also partook in the challenge, posting their videos on various platforms and nominating the next tech leaders. After being nominated by Phil Schiller, his marketing chief, Tim Cook also joined the challenge, as seen in a video posted on Instagram.

The ALS Assn. reported that it raised $5.7 million since the challenge started, a significant increase from $1.2 million during the same period the previous year.

ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a neurodegenerative disease that gradually results in the loss of muscle control. ALS patients, after their diagnosis, generally have a life expectancy of two to five years. There’s currently only one ALS treatment drug which merely extends survival by a few months, as per the ALS Assn.

The Ice Bucket Challenge finds its roots in 31-year-old Pat Quinn of Long Island, an ALS patient himself. From Quinn’s initial challenge, the viral campaign has grown exponentially, resulting in global awareness of the disease.

“We moved a mountain here,” said a proud John Frates, father of ALS patient Pete Frates, who has been spreading awareness since his own diagnosis two years ago. “Their accomplishment is shedding light on this overlooked disease that’s been hidden and underfunded for a lengthy time.”

Source: SALVADOR RODRIGUEZ /LAtimes

For more information, visit the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact Sheet

Minor enhancements were applied in 2025 for readability.