Zuckerberg putting his money on the table: invests $50 million and bets big on California
Meta has invested the funds to transform three buildings in Sacramento into housing and new academic facilities.
Late last month, Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg invested $50 million in California State University, Sacramento to boost STEM laboratories, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and to establish a new Artificial Intelligence center.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the multimillion-dollar donation will fund the renovation of three vacant state buildings on Capitol Mall, converting them into a new university district with affordable housing and academic centers for students and faculty at Sacramento State.
“This project will create new housing for students and professionals and support state-of-the-art STEM facilities, including a new School of Public Affairs and dedicated AI Center. I believe these investments will help strengthen our communities and support the next generation of leaders and innovators,” the American business leader said in a statement.
“Meta is proud to call California home and we’re excited to work with Governor Newsom and Sacramento State to drive innovation in our state capital,” he added.
Newsom said the initiative will allow the university to expand its technology talent pipeline and open “doors for students to succeed,” enabling communities to “prosper.” He added, “making sure students can actually afford to live where they learn is essential to that work.”
What does the renovation plan include?
Earlier this year, the California Department of General Services and California State University, Sacramento began working together on the planning phase, which includes proposals such as:
- Affordable housing for CSUS students, faculty, and staff
- Construction of a new, state-of-the-art School of Public Affairs
- A mixed-use performing arts and music venue
- An Artificial Intelligence Center to support a new degree in AI Business Management
- A boutique hotel intended to serve CSUS families, visiting students, and research partners
The reinvention of Zuckerberg’s philanthropy
This donation is not an isolated gesture. It is part of a broader transformation that Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have made to their philanthropic efforts. Since 2015, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has pledged to donate 99 percent of their fortune, focusing on education and social justice, and more recently on science, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine.
In 2025, they invested in AI-driven biomedical research through Biohub, a network of scientific centers aimed at curing or preventing disease.
Recently, Zuckerberg and his wife purchased a mansion in Indian Creek, Miami, the exclusive island known as the “Billionaire Bunker,” home to figures such as Jeff Bezos and Tom Brady. The purchase comes amid debate in California over potential new taxes on extreme wealth.
With an estimated net worth of about $240 billion, Zuckerberg joins other tech billionaires strengthening their presence in South Florida, a state with no personal income tax, while California lawmakers consider imposing new taxes on billionaires.
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