What Is Sheryl Sandberg's Net Worth and Salary?
Sheryl Sandberg is an American businesswoman who has a net worth of $1.6 billion. Sheryl Sandberg earned the vast majority of her fortune thanks to her time serving as the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Facebook. Before working for Facebook, Sandberg was the VP of ad sales at Google. Sheryl joined Facebook in 2008. On June 1, 2022, Sheryl announced she was departing from Facebook after 14 years at the company. Her tenure at Facebook will be remembered just as much for extreme growth and profitability as for never-ending scandals. She remained a member of the company's board of directors through May 2024, meaning she technically spent 16 years at the company.
Early Life
Sheryl Kara Sandberg was born on August 28, 1969, in Washington, D.C. Raised in a Jewish household alongside two younger siblings, she moved with her family to North Miami Beach in Florida when she was two years old.
Sheryl immediately excelled in high school, graduating with a 4.646 GPA before attending Harvard College. She graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. Because she was the top graduating student in the economics department, she was awarded the John H. Williams Prize. In 1993, she enrolled at Harvard once again, attending the business school and earning her MBA in 1995.
Google & Facebook
Sandberg spent the early part of her career as a management consultant before working for Larry Sanders, the United States Secretary of the Treasury. She then joined Google, leading the company's advertising and publishing efforts for its consumer products and its Google Book Search feature. She eventually left Google, having grown its ad and sales team from four people to 4,000 individuals.
After meeting Mark Zuckerberg at a Christmas party, Sandberg was offered the job of Facebook COO. She officially joined the company in 2008 and immediately searched for ways to make the social media giant profitable. With the addition of paid advertising, Sandberg achieved her goal. Through 2022, she oversaw a massive portion of Facebook's business operations. In 2012, she became the first woman on Facebook's board of directors.
Facebook Holdings
Between Facebook's IPO in May 2012 and her departure from the company in June 2022, Sheryl methodically sold $1.7 – $1.9 billion worth of stock, according to public filings.
During her time at Facebook, Sheryl earned or acquired a total of 48 million shares of Facebook. She sold roughly 20 million over time to cover taxes. Of the remaining 28 million, she sold at least 22 million through a scheduled selling program.
When she left Facebook in June 2022, Sheryl still owned around $300 million worth of shares.
"Lean In"
Sandberg published the book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" in 2013. It encourages women to pursue their career goals assertively and "lean in" to leadership roles. Sandberg shares personal anecdotes and research to highlight the barriers women face in the workplace, such as gender stereotypes and discrimination.
Upon release, "Lean In" gained significant popularity, sparking discussions about gender equality in the workplace. The book became a bestseller and inspired the creation of "Lean In" circles, support groups for women to discuss their professional challenges and aspirations.
However, the book also faced criticism and controversy. Some argued that Sandberg's advice was primarily applicable to privileged women and overlooked the experiences of women from diverse backgrounds. Critics also pointed out that the book placed too much responsibility on individual women to overcome systemic barriers rather than addressing the structural issues perpetuating gender inequality.
Furthermore, Sandberg's personal and professional life came under scrutiny, particularly after the Cambridge Analytica scandal and concerns about Facebook's handling of user data privacy. Some questioned the credibility of her message, given her role in a company embroiled in controversy.
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Anti-trust Investigation
In 2020, it was announced that the FTC was considering deposing both Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg as a result of potential anti-trust law violations. This came one year after the tech giant had paid a $5 billion fine for violations. Mark Zuckerberg has appeared before US judicial committees on numerous occasions since the controversy began, and today, these antitrust investigations continue to impact high-level Facebook executives such as Sheryl Sandberg.
Cambridge Analytica Scandal
Numerous observers have suggested that Sheryl Sandberg played a notable role in the Cambridge Analytica Scandal. This incident occurred in 2018 when it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica collected data from Facebook users without consent, mainly in order to develop political advertising strategies. Cambridge Analytica was a British political consulting firm before it shut down in disgrace.
Facebook was directly involved as users were exposed to questions in order to build detailed psychological profiles. Cambridge Analytica then sold the data to various political campaigns. This profiling and data mining occurred as early as 2013, and it allegedly had an impact on the 2016 US elections. Zuckerberg reportedly held Sandberg personally responsible for the fallout and controversy that followed. After a heated exchange with the Facebook CEO, Sandberg allegedly became concerned about the future of her job.
Further Controversy
Sheryl Sandberg has received criticism for a number of other activities, and she is seen by many to be a driving force behind "surveillance capitalism." She also allegedly asked a team of Facebook communications experts to look into George Soros' financial activities after he publicly criticized the activities of various tech companies.
Relationships
Sandberg's first marriage was to Brian Kraff, whom she divorced in 1994 after one year of marriage. In 2004, she married Dave Goldberg, the former CEO of SurveyMonkey. Over the course of their relationship, the couple had two children together. In 2015, Goldberg passed away suddenly after an accident. Sandberg has publicly revealed that he died as a result of arrhythmia.
In 2016, Sheryl started dating Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard. They split up after three years of dating. In 2020, she became engaged to Tom Bernthal, the CEO of Kelton Global.
Real Estate
In 2009, Sanberg purchased a home in Menlo Park, California, for $2.9 million. She and her husband spent the next few years renovating the property after demolishing the existing structure and starting from scratch. Today, the angular, "bunker-like," and vaguely bleak property shares much in common with Facebook's headquarters, suggesting Sheryl feels quite at home when at the office.
The property features 9,210 square feet of living space, and reports suggest that the interior feels very "corporate." There's also a wine room, gym, movie theater, guest bedroom, and a great room complete with a massive waterfall. The outdoor space is notable for its green roof, solar panels, and basketball court. Today, the property has an estimated value of $11 million.
In 2014, Sheryl Sandberg sold a property in Atherton, California, for $9.25 million. She originally purchased the property back in 2004 for $7.995 million. The house features 11,430 square feet of living space, not including the extensive basement area. Atherton has been called the "Most Expensive Zip Code in America" by various publications.
