(JTA) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been tapped as featured speaker for Harvard University’s commencement in May.
Zuckerberg, a billionaire who is the fifth richest person in the world, dropped out of Harvard in his sophomore year to launch Facebook.
“Mark Zuckerberg’s leadership has profoundly altered the nature of social engagement worldwide. Few inventions in modern times can rival Facebook in its far-reaching impact on how people around the globe interact with one another,” Harvard President Drew Faust told the Harvard Gazette, the university’s news service. “And few individuals can rival Mark Zuckerberg in his drive to change our world through the innovative use of technology, as well as his commitment to advance science, enhance education, and expand opportunity through the pursuit of philanthropy.”
Zuckerberg is married to fellow Harvard graduate Priscilla Chan, a pediatrician. The couple has pledged to donate 99 percent of their Facebook shares through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which is committed to advancing human potential and promoting equal opportunity.
Billionaire Bill Gates was the first Harvard dropout to speak at a university graduation.
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