Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold over $733 million in company shares during the first quarter of 2025, just weeks before former President Donald Trump announced new reciprocal tariffs on April 2. Bloomberg, citing Washington Services data, reported the transaction, fueling scrutiny over executive stock trading amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Zuckerberg’s divestments, totaling approximately 1.1 million shares, were executed through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative under a pre-established 10b5-1 trading plan. Despite this structured approach, the timing has drawn attention, especially as Meta’s stock—along with other tech firms—declined sharply following the tariff announcement.
The Meta CEO wasn’t alone in reducing his holdings during this volatile period. Oracle CEO Safra Catz sold $705 million in stock options in January, while Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora offloaded 2.36 million shares worth over $432 million. JPMorgan Chase Chairman Jamie Dimon also executed significant sales, divesting over $265 million in shares by April.
The wave of executive stock sales has sparked renewed concerns about transparency and regulatory safeguards. While many of these transactions were conducted under structured trading plans, their scale and timing continue to fuel debates about the ethical implications of such practices, especially when they coincide with sensitive shifts in U.S. trade policy.
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