Although Mark Zuckerberg has not said anything about running for president, his recent "personal challenge" has fueled speculation that he could be gunning for the top government position sometime in the future.
Every year, the Facebook CEO announces a resolution in his page. Past resolutions have included running 365 miles, building an A.I. for his home, and learning Mandarin.
What makes this year's personal challenge different? In a post, Zuckerberg says that he is planning to visit and meet people from all 50 states of the country by the end of the year. For some people, this has been perceived as a move to test the waters and see how people react to him. This has caused some people to wonder about his political aspirations.
Quartz even published a to-do list for the Zuckerberg 2020 campaign. According to the article, here are some of the things that Zuckerberg needs to do, or has already done:
Hire Top Democratic Campaign Manager
Zuckerberg is hiring Obama's former campaign manager David Plouffe to lead the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which is the Facebook CEO's philanthropic organization.
Promise To Visit All 50 States
As previously mentioned, Zuckerberg will be making it his personal challenge to visit all states this year, just like a campaigning politician would. "After a tumultuous last year, my hope for this challenge is to get out and talk to more people about how they're living, working and thinking about the future," Zuckerberg says.
Turn 35
The age requirement for the US presidency is 35. Zuckerberg will turn 35 by May of 2019, just in time for the start of the presidential election campaign.
Hire Top Republican Campaign Manager
Zuckerberg also hired Ken Mehlman, a former campaign manager for George W. Bush, to become one of the board members of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Zuckerberg's decision to hire from both sides of the political spectrum has been interesting.
Donate Money
Zuckerberg has previously announced that he and his wife will be donating 99% of their shares - equivalent to $45 million - in the charity initiative.
Find Religion
Atheism is not popular among US politicians and voters. Zuckerberg professed to being an atheist in the past, but then rescinded that statement by saying that "I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important."
Take Control Of Largest News Dissemination Platform
Facebook has had a starring and controversial role in the spread of fake news ahead of the recently-held election. The social media site has announced that it is taking steps by regulating the news being spread in the site and hiring third-party checkers.
Mark Zuckerberg running as president does not seem so improbable these days, considering that a former reality TV star made it all the way to the top, and celebrities like Dwayne Johnson and Kanye West have also hinted about their interest on a presidential run.
