Mark's Mystery Motivation

As I watched The Social Network for class, I wondered what motivated Mark Zuckerberg to create Facebook, especially when he knew the possible consequences.  I remember writing my first project about the claim that Tim Wu makes in The Master Switch that, “the motivations of information moguls can almost never be exhaustively described in terms of simple greed and vanity” (315).  What if Mark Zuckerberg was motivated by something other than greed? 

Zuckerberg may have been motivated by the rejection he faces when his girlfriend breaks up with him.  He clearly was caught off guard when she abruptly ends the relationship and may want her to notice him.  This theory appears to be true when Zuckerberg wants to be certain that there is an article about Facebook in the Boston University newspaper, where his ex-girlfriend attends college.  

This possibility becomes more believer when Sean Parker, the creator of Napster, tells Zuckerberg the story behind why he decided to make Napster.  He wanted a girl to notice him so he invented the next big thing.  Similarly, Zuckerberg may have started the next big thing to get his ex-girlfriend's attention. 

Another possible motivation that presents itself is jealousy.  His best friend begins to get recruited for the Final Club that Zuckerberg wants to join.  There are multiple scenes in which Zuckerberg is condescending, rude and unsupportive towards his friend about the situation.  In the end, it is suggested that Zuckerberg screwed over his friend by taking away his share in Facebook out of jealousy.  Although Zuckerberg seems sincerely upset by the idea, it is not clear as to whether or not it is true or not.  

Zuckerberg's motivations are unknown, but it is unlikely that he was only interested in stealing an idea and getting money.  There are other factors that may have motivated him.  It may not have been an attack on the Winklevoss twins to steal their idea of Harvard Connection.  Zuckerberg may have been motivated by something else entirely like Tim Wu suggests.