Zuckerberg Wants More Privacy!

By Penny Munoz

As Facebook announced their latest changes on reduced privacy policies earlier last week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent $30 million on securing his own privacy.

With the last home closing just days ago, Zuckerberg has purchased a total of four additional homes surrounding his own $7 million home after having learned that a developer planned on purchasing a neighbour’s home using the 29-year-old executive’s celebrity status as a marketing ploy.

Real estate in Silicon Valley is not cheap by any means, but even in his prestigious neighbourhood of Crescent Park, the median home is valued at around $3 million.

So why did Zuckerberg end up spending way over market price with up to $14 million on just one home (that is almost half the size of his?) Well, it turns out that the four homes purchased in the last year were not actually up for sale.

Though this might seem like a hefty price to pay for a little privacy (coming from those of us who have a difficult time hiding our timelines), real estate professionals say that the purchases are well worth the price in terms of producing a positive return investment in the long run. Having bought the homes over privacy related concerns, Zuckerberg (already worth an estimated $19 billion) can always consider expanding his lot line in the future, which is a valuable investment in a limited market like Silicon Valley.

Already featuring 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, an outdoor gazebo with a wood-burning fireplace, a saltwater swimming pool, spa and carport, it’s difficult to imagine what plans for expansion Zuckerberg might come up with, but for now, the San Jose Mercury News reports that he plans on leasing the homes to their previous owners.

All images via Zillow.com