Mark Zuckerberg's Dating Life Had Bizarre Requirement
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn't seem like the type of guy who enters a situation unprepared, with his personal life being no exception to this rule. So when the billionaire who reportedly earns over $1 million per hour married his college sweetheart Priscilla Chan in May 2012, every detail was reportedly mapped out well beforehand. The couple coordinated with local vendors in their neighborhood of Palo Alto, Calif. to host a chill reception in their backyard, and the duo even managed to snag a free performance from Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, as the singer revealed on an episode of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live (via Kerrang! Radio).
But while the tech mogul's penchant for planning ahead was helpful in pulling off a lovely wedding, his detail-oriented nature has also led to some strange things in their relationship. Exhibit A: Before there was ever talk of a marriage, Zuckerberg and Chan allegedly drew up some kind of dating contract that included one particularly bizarre clause — because a dating contract in and of itself wasn't odd enough, right?
Did Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan set a schedule for date nights?
We can't say for certain, but Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg reportedly entered into a relationship contract before they got hitched. We're a little murky on whether this was a legally binding contract or just for show, but the two supposedly signed an informal agreement in 2008 when Chan first moved in with Zuckerberg. The supposed document stipulated the couple "enjoy at least one date night" and 100 minutes away from Zuckerberg's then-apartment or office every week, guidelines which first surfaced in the 2008 book by Sarah Lacy, Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good: The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Web 2.0 (via the Daily Mail).
Considering this alleged agreement was made before the two were married, we can't imagine they decided to renew it when they got hitched. You shouldn't need a contract to ensure your spouse spends time with you, right? But as the old adage goes, stranger things have happened.
Was the whole thing Mark Zuckerberg's idea?
As we mentioned earlier, we don't think Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan need a so-called relationship contract now that they're married. Case in point: Mark has previously discussed how he works to keep love at the forefront of his life, proving he doesn't need a piece of paper to keep him on track. "I probably pushed on the work-life balance," Zuckerberg explained in an October 2018 interview with Quartz. "When you're doing a partnership like this, it's important to set aside time for your personal partnership."
It's true that Zuckerberg and Chan must make a conscious effort to keep their relationship healthy, as the parents (they have two children) are extremely busy. Not only is Zuckerberg steering the ship of Facebook amid some troubling times, but Chan is preoccupied with being co-CEO of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Launched in 2015, the organization uses "technology to help solve some of our toughest challenges — from preventing and eradicating disease, to improving learning experiences for kids, to reforming the criminal justice system," according to its about page. Talk about some lofty goals.
The bottom line here? Zuckerburg and Chan operate on a pretty high level, which means they do what they have to do to make things work, even if it involves a highly-specific relationship contract.