From Shared Dream to Complete Exclusion: The Story of Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg

When Trust Becomes a Weapon

In 2004, Eduardo Saverin believed he was an integral part of Mark Zuckerberg’s project. He had invested his savings, dedicated countless hours to work, building alongside the co-founder what would become one of the most powerful companies in the world. What he didn’t know was that his role within the company was about to undergo a radical change.

The Invisible Dilution

When it was time to receive the new corporate documents, Saverin discovered a bitter reality. His stake, which had been 34.4% (corresponding to 1,388,334 shares), had been systematically reduced to just 0.03%. This was not a transparent decision discussed among the partners: it was a quietly orchestrated move, a gradual elimination of his influence in the company’s management.

The Betrayal from Within

The hardest thing for Saverin to accept was not so much the numerical loss of capital, but the fact that it came from someone he considered a friend and partner. Mark Zuckerberg, with whom he had built the company’s foundations, had effectively erased him from the company’s decision-making dynamics. What had started as a shared project had turned into total exclusion.

The Consequences That Followed

This episode would profoundly mark the history of Facebook and fuel years of legal disputes. It represents one of the most emblematic cases of how power within a growing company can be redistributed, and how personal trust does not always prove sufficient to protect against organizational maneuvers.