Valleywag
Dustin Moskovitz, Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard roommate, recently stopped speaking to him. This has made things awkward at Facebook's Palo Alto campus, as Moskovitz is the last reminder walking around that Zuckerberg was not Facebook's sole founder. The two have resumed talking, but Moskovitz, seeking to dissociate himself from his college chum's creation, had dropped the title of vice president and asked for his bio and photograph to be taken off the company's PR website. He's now taken the title of "technical lead," and is working behind the scenes on Facebook's infrastructure. (Moskovitz was not always so publicity-shy: He gladly spoke about Facebook's wireless initiatives at the CTIA conference last fall, and, in a comment left after this post was published, denies a rift and blames Valleywag for his lowered profile.) Why the reported split, after they've worked together so long?
Zuckerberg and Moskovitz are both known to be stubborn and to argue vociferiously for their ideas. It's hard to imagine a disagreement that would cause a permanent rift.
This split appears to have something to do with the pair's Harvard history. A clue lies in a 2005 Denver University newspaper article about Facebook. In it, Moskovitz's title is given as "No Longer Expendable Programmer." Clearly an inside joke, but where did it come from? We hear that Zuckerberg referred to Moskovitz as "expendable" and "a soldier" in IM conversations turned up during Facebook's long-running lawsuit with the founders of rival social network ConnectU.
That lawsuit was reportedly settled earlier this month. Moskovitz was clearly familiar with the "expendable" remark. The feud is, insiders tell me, only goes back a month. How to explain these facts? Here's a theory: Back in 2005, Zuckerberg must have convinced Moskovitz to laugh off the slight. Could the final stages of the legal process turned up evidence that persuaded Moskovitz Zuckerberg wasn't joking?
If so, Zuckerberg may face a lonely future. Chris Hughes, the only other person Zuckerberg acknowledges as a cofounder, left Facebook to work on Barack Obama's campaign. Andrew McCollum and Eduardo Saverin, two Harvard classmates sometimes identified as cofounders, have long been out of hte picture. Moskovitz is the only person who has been with Zuckerberg since the beginning, the only comrade who remembers Facebook's long march out of collegiate obscurity.
Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin made a pact to work with each other for 20 years. In two decades, who will Zuckerberg have in his trusted inner circle? Or does he view everyone around him, as he once labeled Moskovitz, as "expendable"?
Comments
Zuckerberg is a socially-inept juvenile with a god complex. Spoiled since conception, his ego ruins his social relationships (Ironic, doesn't he run a SOCIAL networking site?). Only loved ones bother to stand by his side.
Obviously, he's using people around him. It's no secret Harvard students have connections to money and talented people. Had this of not been, I assure you that the Zuckmeister would be running the CS department's site at Harvard on a Mambo.
He'll continue to have this support just because he was formerly a Harvard student. Until then, I don't really see the genius in him. The evidence available shows everyone except him is doing the work at fb. JMO
i want to see the day facebook is totally worthless and mark is just another average programmer working at an average startup because of his ego and not walking away with the money while it was still worth something.
what are they, like 12?? oh wait....
@Bornean:Allow me this 'omage to your pose: Jimmy Wales is a socially-inept manwhore with a God complex. Spoiled since conception, his ego ruins his social relationships (Ironic, doesn't he run a SOCIAL networking site? Which is all Wiki really is). Even loved ones won't stand by his side.
Zucker comes off OK when you think of it.
From Dustin Moskovitz:
as usual, this article is riddled with errors. It should go without saying that any founders should have some disagreements, even Larry and Sergei, but the general relationship between Mark and I is fine. I did ask to be more behind the scenes after the CTIA keynote, but that is *valleywag's fault* entirely, not Mark's. I hope you forget about me again soon.
@Bornean: And:
Obviously, Jimmy is using people around him. It's no secret that some Wikians have connections to money and talented people. Had this of not been, I assure you that the Jimbo would be cold calling dentists and morticians to by STRIPS from the Bond Dept at Jackson Steinham.
[i73.photobucket.com]
@moskov2: Dustin, trust me on this one: You're unforgettable.
No, it's because he doesn't come into the office till eleven.
Zuckerberg was the Jobs of the equation. He sparked it.
@Troll_2.0: Jimbo: Spoiled form conception? He's made millions from scratch. Jimbo is socially-inept? The charismatic leadership behind Wikipedia. Contributors of the wikipedia cause worship him. The most fervent editors often aren't working for him directly, but because they believe in open source. However, Jimbo does make money off wikia. In this instance you are correct.
And yeah, the scandal surrounding him with Ann Coulter or whatever, but that's another story.
Zuckerberg doesn't have real charisma. He's awkward. People who praise him in groups don't know him for the real brat he is. Sure, he got some plebs from other countries to help with translating his software (which he profits directly off of) and what did they get? A facebook gift.
I say, CYF and wait to say what happens. People will be going around the valley as ex-facebook refugees, begging for work.
@moskov2: Valleywag's fault that you're a pussy and can't take scrutiny?
You're the one that should be working Obama's campaign, instead of the Hughes guy; you'd have fit in better.
@giddieup: Today is April 23. Yay!
Four years in and still no business model. And we're also entering recession.
Boy-o-boy... Facebook's fail will be EPIC!
rick: the only other time Valleywag has written about me, they retracted the article because it was provably false:
[valleywag.com]
I see nothing in this article that has anything to do with scrutiny about me.
It's not valleywag's fault bc they are exposing things I do that look bad in the public eye - it's valleywags fault because despite the fact that I don't do any of those things, I am given a bad name anyway. Therefore I am faced with only two choices: participate publicly in the tech industry and have my character destroyed, or non-participation. Seriously, nothing was written about me until I did that keynote and then all of a sudden three publications picked up this ridiculous story that is totally unlike anything I would ever do. I think it's entirely logical that I stopped after that (and entirely illogical that I decided to finally be offended by a joke I agreed to four years ago... that's retarded).
I don't understand the point about Obama's campaign... I think Chris has done fantastic work - how come nobody is correlating the whole "the internet decided this election" thing with the whole "one of the people who helped create the largest social network runs internet strategy for Obama" thing?
hey, i resemble that 'retarded' remark....
Owen,
The cap table decides who the founders are not Mark Zuckerburg. I don't believe that FB will be around in 20 years so this question may never have to be answered.
@moskov2: Part of being in business is exposure. You are a co founder of a much talked about company so obviously your days of obscurity are done. You need to get a tough shell and learn to filter the information. Don't blame the media use them as a tool to help you.
@moskov2: I'd go with option 3: man up and ignore it.
Is your sense of character so fragile that valleywag can crack it? If so, you might want to go back to Harvard and see if they have a program in knitting or something else more suited to your sensitivity level.
Oh, and the Obama comment was meant to draw a comparison between his incredible sensitivity and yours.
Incidentally, I think if Charles Manson had been managing Obama's internet strategy the results would have been very similar. Any one person taking credit for that is kidding themselves.
there are worse things in life than to be the co-founder of a well known company and have valleywag poke at you.
i'm sure dustin wouldn't remember me, but we were in a few meetings together a couple years back. he's a good guy and smart. however, the spotlight is now shining.... time to put on a little song and dance, or pull a britney.
i really need to finish valleycide...
-mike
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?