The World’s Richest CEOs

9. Mark Zuckerberg, 27
Company: Facebook
Net worth: $18.1 billion
2011 compensation: $1.49 million

At 27-years-old, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest CEO on the list. As the founder and CEO of the world’s largest social networking website with 845 million monthly users, Zuckerberg is likely to leap up the rankings once Facebook goes public this year. His roughly 28 percent stake in the company is valued at $17.9 billion, according to Wealth-X. The ... more 

9. Mark Zuckerberg, 27
Company: Facebook
Net worth: $18.1 billion
2011 compensation: $1.49 million

At 27-years-old, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest CEO on the list. As the founder and CEO of the world’s largest social networking website with 845 million monthly users, Zuckerberg is likely to leap up the rankings once Facebook goes public this year. His roughly 28 percent stake in the company is valued at $17.9 billion, according to Wealth-X. The tech giant’s highly-anticipated $5 billion IPO could value the company at $100 billion and push Zuckerberg’s net worth up to $28 billion.

Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook with friends in his Harvard University dorm in 2004 as a way to connect the university’s students. He dropped out of Harvard to expand the social networking site globally. Facebook’s growth has catapulted the company’s revenue to $3.71 billion in 2011 and its workforce has grown to 3,200. Worldwide, users spend about six hours a month on Facebook, and a recent survey revealed that long-time users are not tiring of posting personal details on the social media site.

Despite plans to take the company public this year, Zuckerberg will keep almost complete control over the social media enterprise. Its IPO prospectus states that Zuckerberg will “control all matters” submitted to stockholders for vote, along with the overall management and direction of the firm. Zuckerberg has struck deals with several Facebook investors that grant him voting rights over their shares. less