Technology

Mark Zuckerberg remains irreplaceable as Meta CEO thanks to super voting rights, founder’s vision, and a unique share structure. Discover his secrets here.

27 May 2025 2 min

Mark Zuckerberg, a name synonymous with Facebook—and now Meta—has always sat at the top since the company’s founding. In the tech world, where founders often get pushed aside, Zuckerberg seems immune to shocks, scandals, and investor pressure. So what makes Mark Zuckerberg irreplaceable as Meta CEO, even as challenges keep coming?

The main key to Zuckerberg’s strength lies in Meta’s unusual share structure—dual-class shares. Since Facebook’s IPO in 2012, the company has been divided into two classes: Class A (1 vote per share, publicly traded) and Class B (10 votes per share, mostly held by Zuckerberg and his inner circle).
Although he holds only about 13% of Meta’s total shares, Zuckerberg controls nearly 61% of the voting power. This structure gives him absolute authority over the company’s direction, from choosing the CEO to long-term strategic policies. The Board of Directors—so central in most companies—serves more as an advisor at Meta.

Image: Meta’s shareholding structure supporting Mark Zuckerberg’s dominance
Alt text: Meta share structure with Mark Zuckerberg’s voting power

Zuckerberg’s move to rebrand Facebook as Meta in 2021 was more than a name change. He positioned himself as the visionary leader ready to take the company into the metaverse era, even amid skepticism from investors and the public. This strategy cemented his role as an irreplaceable founder.
Zuckerberg has also promoted a founder-led company narrative—a business driven by the founder’s vision. Every major policy, from the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp to Oculus, has always been under Zuckerberg’s full control.

Beyond voting power and vision, a series of strategic moves have helped secure his leadership:

• Consolidating the Inner Circle: Almost all Facebook co-founders left early, leaving Zuckerberg as the only active founder.

• Handling Scandals Himself: During scandals like Cambridge Analytica, Zuckerberg stepped into the public eye and refused to step down, reinforcing himself as the central figure.

• Executive Incentives: Meta’s executives receive large stock incentives, locking in their loyalty.

• Eliminating Competition: Strategic acquisitions expand Meta’s ecosystem while shutting out external threats.

Minority investors have repeatedly tried to challenge Zuckerberg’s dominance, proposing to remove the dual-class structure, but all attempts have failed in voting. This failure underlines a reality: Zuckerberg’s power is nearly absolute, and change can only happen if he steps down of his own accord.

Despite appearing untouchable, Zuckerberg still faces pressure. Meta’s massive investments in the metaverse, which have yet to yield results, as well as regulatory scrutiny in the US and Europe, could become stumbling blocks. Yet as long as the super voting structure stands, Zuckerberg’s CEO seat remains secure.

Mark Zuckerberg remains irreplaceable as Meta CEO thanks to super voting rights, a founder-led narrative, strategic maneuvers, and failed attempts by investors to overturn the company’s structure. In today’s global corporate climate, such absolute leadership is increasingly rare, making Meta a major exception in the modern tech era.