It has been exactly half a decade since Facebook made its tumultuous debut on the world’s second-largest exchange, NASDAQ. In this period, the social media platform’s indefatigable CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has astonishingly augmented his net worth by a staggering average of $9 billion annually. This consistent swell in his fortune has boosted his wealth to an eye-popping $62.3 billion today.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index, this makes the 33-year-old tech prodigy, the fifth-wealthiest person in the world. The primary source of Zuckerberg’s unfathomable wealth springs from his colossal holdings in Facebook’s stock, which has appreciated tremendously thanks to his strategic leadership.
Rewinding back to the company’s much-anticipated debut in 2012, it would have been remarkably difficult to envisage Zuckerberg amongst the top 10 wealthiest individuals globally. The social media pioneer celebrated his 28th birthday just days before Facebook’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) hit the markets with much fanfare. Unfortunately, the hype was short-lived due to technical glitches that delayed trading until 11:30 a.m on the D-Day. Opening at $42.05 a share, the stock value plunged to a low of $38 by the close of trading as investor confidence dwindled.
On that fateful Friday, Zuckerberg’s stake in Facebook tumbled from $19 billion to $17 billion at market closure. However, this was only the beginning of a striking downward spiral. Following its first earnings report as a publicly traded company in July, which unveiled weaker-than-expected quarterly results, Zuckerberg’s net worth sunk further to $11.9 billion.
Since then, Facebook has monumentally silenced its skeptical critics. Under Zuckerberg’s visionary stewardship, the company’s shares have skyrocketed by an impressive 282% post-IPO. His tenacity and astute leadership have been instrumental in transforming Facebook – the glitch-ridden NASDAQ debutante to one of the most renowned and profitable tech companies globally. As Zuckerberg continues to navigate the dynamic tech landscape with his innovative strategies, his personal wealth is only expected to multiply.
[Read the full story on Fortune’s website](http://fortune.com/2017/05/18/mark-zuckerberg-net-worth-facebook-ipo/?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_FORTUNE)
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