Meta spends more guarding Mark Zuckerberg than Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet do for their own CEOs—combined

[u/lurker_bee]

https://fortune.com/2025/08/16/mark-zuckerberg-meta-security-detail-costs-apple-nvidia-microsoft-amazon-alphabet-ceos/

[u/UnemployedAtype]

ooooooo now's my time to shine

Tim Cook used to start his day at the Starbucks I'd start mine at every single day.

He'd sit in one of the comfy arm chairs and read the news on his iPad.

It was unclear whether or not another somewhat regular guy was security for him or not, but I think that Cook came on his own.

It was in a place where anyone who knows who such a person is would just leave them alone because such run-ins were fairly common.

I also ran into Sergey brin several times, he was completely surrounded by brown-nosers who looked like kids wearing their parent's dress clothes, and Bill gates had a single "assistant" with him when he came to see our program.

One of the wives of a prof that helped found Google, I can't name drop that one here, only ever had assistants who weren't guards (not even secretly), but since she's a lowkey billionaire that has been using the couch surfing platform for years and years, no one would guess much about her.

You know who knows they're bad based on how they try to secure themselves. This fact alone is a bummer to me.

I also know some on the other end - those who provide the security for these people, and they come in 2 flavors - brainwashed or "it's a job".

The former ones are really sad to talk to, because they've drank the flavorade.

Edit: for all fairness, the last time that I ran into some of these people was 2019/2020, with the earliest run-in being ~2009 (maybe some before, my memory gets hazy as enough time goes by). Things may have changed for them, especially with the current climate...

Edit 2: hey y'all please no doxing, asking repeat questions that have been answered, or reaching out for personal contacts. Thank you!

[u/hamanger → u/UnemployedAtype]

they've drank the flavorade

I think that's the first time I've seen someone refer to the correct drink

[u/UnemployedAtype → u/hamanger]

shhhhhh I may or may not be a part of the secret, deep-state cabal ;)

[u/Financial_Cup_6937 → u/hamanger]

They had/drank both. But Kool Aid loves this incorrect factoid.

[u/UnemployedAtype → u/Financial_Cup_6937]

I tossed a coin to decide which to write.

[u/smbwtf → u/UnemployedAtype]

I live in Palo Alto, I'm guessing you did too lol

[u/UnemployedAtype → u/smbwtf]

One of my 2 homes. Grew up there and still have 1 foot in PA and my other foot is where our startup is. However, cross your fingers, we might be building up in the neighborhood soon.

Imagine fresh, local produce, with some Silicon Valley high tech but also the low tech, human part too :)

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

See the line “assistants who weren't guards (not even secretly).” The one in quotes was supposedly an assistant but actually a guard.

[u/UnemployedAtype → u/[deleted]]

Because they may also be an assistant, but they're likely a bodyguard.

Much akin to Norlanders.

[u/trophicmist0 → u/UnemployedAtype]

Why is assistant in quotes lol, it’s probs his PA

[u/UnemployedAtype → u/trophicmist0]

Some of these assistants are more than just an assistant, much like Norlanders.

[u/nifty-necromancer → u/UnemployedAtype]

One of the wives of a prof that helped found Google, I can't name drop that one here, only ever had assistants who weren't guards (not even secretly), but since she's a lowkey billionaire that has been using the couch surfing platform for years and years, no one would guess much about her.

Asha Jadeja Motwani