Keeping important people like Mark Zuckerberg safe certainly costs a lot of money. In 2021, Meta spent nearly $27 million keeping Zuckerberg and his family safe.
These expenses were revealed from a Meta report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The report doesn't reveal what form of security Zuckerberg has received, but in 2019 Insider reported that the 37-year-old has daily bodyguards and access to an office with bulletproof glass.
From the report, it was revealed that Meta spent USD 15.1 million on Zuckerberg's personal safety at his residence and while he was traveling. There is also a $10 million pre-tax allowance for the safety of Zuckerberg and his family.
Meta also spent more than $1.6 million on Zuckerberg's private plane in 2021. This is slightly lower than $1.8 million in 2022 and $2.9 million in 2019.
In total, Meta's spending on the security of Zuckerberg and his family increased significantly compared to the previous two years. In 2020, the social media giant spent $25 million, and the previous year they spent $23 million.
In its report to the SEC, Meta said the spending was important because Zuckerberg faced specific threats because his position as founder, CEO, and chairman made him a high-profile figure.
Meta's security fees account for the majority of Zuckerberg's compensation. As is known, Zuckerberg's base salary is only USD 1 and he does not receive a share-based bonus.
The cost of securing Zuckerberg is also much greater than that of any other tech company boss. For example, Amazon spent $1.6 million on security and business trip founder Jeff Bezos. Meanwhile, Apple spent USD 630,630 on CEO Tim Cook's security and USD 712,488 on his personal travels.