Meta Platforms management check
META · Communication Services · Interactive Media & Services · CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Filings as of
3 good · 2 to watch · 2 flagged, across the seven questions below.
- Flag
Have owners done well?
Trailed its chosen peers$100 invested at the start of fiscal 2021 grew to $243, against $445 for the peer group the company picked itself.
- Watch
Does pay follow performance?
Pay only loosely tracked returnsOver 5 years, the CEO's pay actually paid (equity valued at the share price) had a correlation of -0.27 with shareholder return. 1 means pay moved in step; below 0, the opposite way.
- Good
What does the CEO cost owners?
0.04% of net income$25.1m of reported pay in fiscal 2025, against $60.5bn of net income.
- Watch
Do they own the stock?
Insiders are selling10 insiders sold $128.7m in the last six months and none bought. 173 of 178 sales ran on pre-arranged 10b5-1 plans.
- Flag
Are owners being diluted?
Share count shrinkingDiluted shares changed -1.1% a year over the last three fiscal years. Stock-based pay was 10.2% of revenue in the latest year.
- Good
Is leadership stable?
6 leadership filings in 3 yearsCEO in the pay table: Mark Zuckerberg. 6 filings under 8-K item 5.02 (officers or directors leaving or joining, or new pay arrangements) in the last 3 years.
- Good
Are the books clean?
No red flags on fileNo restatements, auditor changes or late filings since 2024.
Against the S&P 500
Each check's score (0–100) and how it compares: the share of ranked S&P 500 companies it matches or beats, and the median in Communication Services.
| Check | Score | At or above | Sector median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner returns | 0 | 27 | |
| Pay for performance | 37 | 76 | |
| CEO cost | 100 | 72 | |
| Skin in the game | — | — | 75 |
| Dilution | 20 | 65 | |
| Stable leadership | 95 | 93 | |
| Clean books | 100 | 100 |
Closest peers
Others in Interactive Media & Services, by management score. Meta Platforms is 12th of 18 in its sector.
Pay versus performance
From the proxy statement filed April 16, 2026. "Actually paid" values stock awards at the share price, so it rises and falls with the stock.
| Fiscal year | CEO | CEO pay | Actually paid | Other executives (avg) | $100 became | Peers | Net income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mark Zuckerberg | $25.1m | $25.1m | $22.1m | $243 | $445 | $60.5bn |
| 2024 | — | $27.2m | $27.2m | $24.1m | $215 | $263 | $62.4bn |
| 2023 | — | $24.4m | $24.4m | $24.0m | $130 | $151 | $39.1bn |
| 2022 | — | $27.1m | $27.1m | $22.1m | $44 | $92 | $23.2bn |
| 2021 | — | $26.8m | $26.8m | $28.8m | $123 | $131 | $39.4bn |
The board says pay is tied most to Revenue".
Insiders and the CEO's stake
10 insiders sold $128.7m in the last six months and none bought. 173 of 178 sales ran on pre-arranged 10b5-1 plans.
- SoldChristopher K CoxChief Product Officer · 10b5-1 plan$55.0mSep 21, 2026
- SoldJavier OlivanChief Operating Officer · 10b5-1 plan$23.9mOct 19, 2026
- SoldMark ZuckerbergCOB and CEO · 10b5-1 plan$21.4mSep 24, 2026
- SoldSusan J LiChief Financial Officer$13.4mAug 18, 2026
Leadership and governance on file
- Apr 14, 2026Leadership change8-K 5.02
- Jan 16, 2026Leadership change8-K 5.02
- Dec 19, 2025Leadership change8-K 5.02
- Apr 11, 2025Leadership change8-K 5.02
- Feb 20, 2025Leadership change8-K 5.02
- Jan 6, 2025Leadership change8-K 5.02
Latest shareholder vote results: May 29, 2026, including the say-on-pay vote.
Where the money went
Over 2021–2025: $159.0bn returned to owners in buybacks and dividends, 71% of net income, and $72.3bn of pay in stock.
| Fiscal year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $117.9bn | $116.6bn | $134.9bn | $164.5bn | $201.0bn |
| Net income | $39.4bn | $23.2bn | $39.1bn | $62.4bn | $60.5bn |
| Stock-based pay | $9.2bn | $12.0bn | $14.0bn | $16.7bn | $20.4bn |
| Buybacks | $44.5bn | $28.0bn | $19.8bn | $30.1bn | $26.2bn |
| Dividends | — | $0 | $0 | $5.1bn | $5.3bn |
| Diluted shares | 2859m | 2702m | 2629m | 2614m | 2574m |
Educational only, not investment advice. Figures are as filed with the SEC: pay from the proxy's pay-versus-performance table, capital allocation from 10-K XBRL data, insider trades from Form 4s over the last six months, events from the last 5 years of filings. The peer group is the one the company chose. See the method.