Is Mark Zuckerberg the next Bill Gates?

By Josh Quittner

The best silly-speculation I’ve heard so far this week…

While we all sit outside Facebook HQ in Palo Alto, waiting to see whether Microsoft (MSFT), or Google (GOOG), gets to be the social network’s new beau, one apps guy I know had a great theory. Let’s say Mister Softie wins, with a $1.5 billion buy in. Microsoft gets first dibs, not only on the nascent business, but on the nascent businessman: Mark Zuckerberg. Yes! Who better to succeed Bill Gates?

As every school child knows, the similarities are striking. Both men came from upper-middle class families and dropped out of Harvard to pursue their tech visions. Gates built a new platform (actually, two, if you count DOS and Windows) and Zuckerberg aims to create one now. The only thing that makes no sense to me in this analysis is that clearly, Zuckerman models himself more on Steve Jobs. He’s got his own uniform, and uses a Mac. Even his delivery, seen here at the seminal F8 Keynote, reminds me of Jobs at Mac World.

Is it too late for Apple to swoop in and buy a big chunk of Facebook? iFace! It has a certain ring to it.

Back to main column

Filed under Facebook, microsoft

9 Comments | Add a Comment | Email

Digg

Facebook

Come on, you cannot compare Bill Gates with Zuckenberg. Think for a moment, Gates was and still able to make a shift in computer industry and he was able to sustain the leading position of microsoft for more then 20 years, but Zuckerberg is in industy only 3 years and his real innovation came just few monthes ago. The real question will be how long he is able to hold that position of innovator.

Posted By Larionov Ilya, Prague, Czech Republic : October 25, 2007 4:13 pm

This is an absurd comparison. Zuckerberg came up with a good idea for a website…he didnt invent the internet

Posted By Anonymous : October 25, 2007 3:23 pm

What’s the vision? Facebook is a lucky strike on the post-internet boom era. Gates was a visionary before PCs were PCs, and this guy is not even close as a visionary as Gates. I believe Facebook is overvalue and the outbidders just want to show power, as they want Facebook, they make Facebook look overvalue. Yet, time would tell if Facebook is a teenage fad or something worthwhile, personally I see Facebook as a waste of time. My opinion.

Posted By Juan S, Monterrey, Mexico : October 25, 2007 12:24 pm

just bcoz u’ve the space to write you’re writing this crap. There is only one Gates and I believe that no one could beat him.

Posted By Guruprasad, TN, India : October 25, 2007 11:15 am

Gates/Zuckerman; WHO would you TRUST? Not a contest for anyone, with just 1 FUNCTIONING brain cell! Twenty+ years of deception and duplicity, and yet, there ARE some who still ‘believe’ Gates! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G…is it not? Condolences Zuckerman – you brought Frankenstein into your bridal suite.

Posted By robert jay, puget sound, state of wa : October 24, 2007 8:00 pm

Zuckerberg is nothing near Bill Gates nor Steve Jobs. He should take the money and run now. a LOT of college students are getting turned off by facebook, and the crowd he tried to attract are sticking with myspace.com
Way to go in alientating your customer base! I was a heavy user of facebook but got turned off the by the amount of wasted “apps” that friends try to get me to install. It’s a nuisance! Just remember everyone, employers can access your facebook and myspace files even when they are “locked”. Ever hear of the Patriot Act? I know someone who didn’t get a job because they were able to look at his facebook profile even when it was supposedly ‘private’.

Posted By JR, Iowa City, IA : October 24, 2007 7:36 pm

?”Zuckerman”? and Gates have major creative differences, and the former would appear much more self invovled than the latter.

Posted By proofreader pete, miami, fl : October 24, 2007 3:42 pm

If a guy “just like Bill Gates” were the right guy to succeed him, Bill would still be running Microsoft. A new kind of person is needed now – I predict Bob Lokken, founder of ProClarity will be the guy.

Posted By Bobby McGee, Boise, Idaho : October 24, 2007 3:13 pm

Actually, Gates *bought* DOS, so he didn’t quite “build” two new platforms.

I think his success is more at being a ruthless businessman, rather than a software genius. Microsoft tends to emulate, rather than innovate.

P.S. I use Microsoft daily, so I’m not a MS hater

Posted By Samuel, Los Angeles, CA : October 24, 2007 2:58 pm

CNNMoney.com Comment Policy: CNNMoney.com encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that CNNMoney.com may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNNMoney.com the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNNMoney.com Privacy Statement.