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Back in July 2018, Facebook’s board approved a $10 million security budget per year for Mark Zuckerberg and his family.
There’s no doubt that the billionaire Facebook exec is definitely someone who should utilize an extensive security detail, but some of these details are f*cking ridiculous.
Business Insider recently spoke to Facebook’s executive protection team (led by US Secret Service special agent Jill Leavens Jones) and found out the following:
Extreme vetting of locations he visits and people he meets
Armed executive protection officers stand on constant guard outside Zuckerberg’s gated homes in the Bay Area, at least one of which also features a panic room. If he goes to a bar, his team will sweep through ahead of time to make sure it’s safe. They will vet new any new doctors, or trainers if he wants to take up a new hobby. He is driven everywhere, with the security team monitoring traffic and adjusting his route accordingly.
Undercover security in meetings
During company all-hands meetings, members of Zuckerberg’s Praetorian Guard sit at the front of the room and are dotted throughout the crowd, just in case an employee tries to rush him. They wear civilian clothes to blend in with non-security employees.
Car bomb protection
Zuckerberg doesn’t typically work in a cordoned-off office like a traditional corporate executive. Instead, his regular desk is on the floor of Facebook’s open-plan office, just like everyone one — but executive protection officers sit near his desk while he works, in case of security threats. Facebook’s offices are built above an employee parking lot, but it’s impossible to park directly beneath Zuckerberg’s desk, because of concerns about the risk of car bombs.
And last but certainly not least…
A PANIC CHUTE
He also has access to a large glass-walled conference room in the middle of the space near his desk, which features bullet-resistant windows and a panic button. There’s also a persistent rumor among Facebook employees that he has a secret “panic chute” his team can evacuate him down to get him out of the office in a hurry.
The truth of this matter remains murky: One source said they had been briefed about the existence of a top-secret exit route through the floor of the conference room into the parking garage, but others said they had no knowledge of it.
Facebook declined to comment on this.
For more on Facebook, check out how they plan to combat revenge porn.
