Zuck raises troops’ spirits before Facebook stock debut
Shortly after being presented the traditional personalized Nasdaq opening bell crystal, Facebook Chief Executive, founder and recent billionaire Mark Zuckerberg talked to the people behind the brand before making the whole debut on the stock market official.
He said that while there was a whole lot of hoopla around the milestone of going public, “our mission isn’t to be a public company. Our mission is to make the world more open and connected.”
The moment was captured on video by Facebook, complete with inspirational soundtrack underneath.
Zuckerberg acknowledged the work of Facebook’s more than 3,500 employees for building “the largest community in the history of the world” over the last eight years. “You’ve done amazing things that we never would’ve dreamed of, and I can’t wait to see what you guys all do going forward.”
His thanks weren’t reserved for his employees. “On behalf of everyone at Facebook, I just want to say to all the people out there who use Facebook and our products, thank you.”
In addition to getting the opening bell crystal from a Nasdaq representative, Zuckerberg was given a first-ever Nasdaq Facebook hoodie.
“This is an awesome moment,” he said. “Remember, stay focused and keep shipping.”
The stock, however, hasn’t soared as high in its first day of trading as the spirits likely did on Friday morning.
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