Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth took a staggering $18 billion hit on Thursday after Meta Platforms’ stock suffered its sharpest single-day decline in nearly five years. Shares of the tech giant dropped 8.96% to close at $531.62, dragging Zuckerberg’s fortune down to $184.1 billion and knocking him to third place on the global wealth rankings.
This occurred amid the market sell-off triggered by newly announced U.S. tariffs. The White House introduced a 10% baseline import levy alongside targeted hikes, with up to 25%, on specific goods like foreign automobiles. The announcement shook investors. This sent shockwaves across the global equity markets and heavily impacting the tech sector.
Meta’s fall mirrored widespread losses on Wall Street.
For Meta, the timing is ironic. Just weeks ago, the company reported impressive fourth-quarter earnings with $8.02 per share and a 21% jump in revenue to $48.4 billion. Its growth in digital advertising and adoption of AI tools across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Meta AI had boosted investor confidence.
Meta’s stock had climbed as high as $740.89 this year. But Thursday’s drop pulled it below the critical 200-day moving average.
Despite the setback, Meta remains in a strong position with over 3.3 billion daily active users and more than 700 million monthly users of Meta AI. Threads, the company’s text-based social platform, recently crossed 320 million monthly users.
Zuckerberg, who still owns around 13% of Meta, has pledged to donate 99% of his stake during his lifetime. But for now, market watchers are looking ahead to April 23, when Meta will report its Q1 earnings. The results could determine whether the company can regain its momentum—or whether Thursday’s drop marks the start of a more volatile chapter.
