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Mark Zuckerberg Welcomes New Child, Pledges 99% Of Fortune To 'Public Good'

by Stacey Leasca

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are pretty blessed individuals.

The pair, who met at a frat party while attending Harvard, are both tremendously accomplished people. Mark, as the world knows, founded Facebook, one of the most ubiquitous social tools on the planet. Priscilla, a practicing pediatrician, also founded The Primary School, a  free private school that combines healthcare and education for underserved children.

Yes, they are both blessed with fame, wealth and success, but this week, they added life's greatest blessing to the list: a child.

On Tuesday, Mark and Priscilla publicly announced the arrival of their daughter, Max.

In a post on Facebook Mark wrote,

Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future. Your new life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can explore it fully. You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in. Like all parents, we want you to grow up in a world better than ours today.

In addition to welcoming their newborn into the Facebook family, Mark also announced that he and his wife will donate 99 percent of their Facebook stock, valued at about $45 billion, to charity, philanthropic efforts, public advocacy and other activities for the public good during their lifetime via the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.  Mark added in his post,

We believe all lives have equal value, and that includes the many more people who will live in future generations than live today. Our society has an obligation to invest now to improve the lives of all those coming into this world, not just those already here.

Zuckerberg added, while the contribution seems small in comparison to the minds already working to solve the world's problems, it is what they can do and what they feel is right. Mark closed the letter by saying,

Max, we love you and feel a great responsibility to leave the world a better place for you and all children. We wish you a life filled with the same love, hope and joy you give us. We can't wait to see what you bring to this world.

Future generations thank you, Mark and Priscilla. Read his entire letter here.