Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has lost about $12.2 billion from his fortune after the company’s share price fell amid renewed concerns about its heavy spending on artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires Index, Zuckerberg’s net worth fell 4.23% to an estimated $245.4 billion on Monday, pushing his fortune below $250 billion.
The latest decline follows an $8.9 billion drop in his wealth on Friday after Meta shares came under pressure, bringing his combined losses over the past two trading sessions to more than $20 billion.
Meta’s shares fell by more than 4% to $719.44 at about midday on Monday as investors weighed the company’s growing AI ambitions against the huge capital required to fund its expansion.
The selloff followed a Goldman Sachs assessment of the revenue major technology companies may need to generate to justify their rapidly expanding investments in AI infrastructure.
According to the assessment, companies such as Meta could require about $300 billion in annual AI services revenue to break even on their capital spending and as much as $1 trillion to generate meaningful profits.
The report has renewed concerns about how quickly technology giants, including Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Oracle, can convert billions of dollars in AI infrastructure investments into sustainable earnings.
Meta is expected to spend as much as $145 billion on capital expenditure in 2026 as Zuckerberg steps up investments in computing infrastructure, AI models and related products.
The company has increasingly positioned AI as a key component of its long-term growth strategy, committing substantial resources to data centres, computing capacity and AI talent.
Zuckerberg’s latest wealth decline comes just over two months after he reclaimed his position as the world’s fifth-richest person.
Recall that in July, Zuckerberg’s net worth stood at $222.1 billion, putting him ahead of Michael Dell, whose fortune had declined to $221.1 billion following a selloff in Dell Technologies shares.
Despite losing more than $20 billion in the latest two trading sessions, Zuckerberg’s estimated fortune of $245.4 billion remains significantly higher than its July level.
His wealth has historically moved closely with Meta’s share price because a substantial portion of his fortune is tied to his stake in the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
In August 2025, gains in Meta shares had added about $61.5 billion to Zuckerberg’s fortune since the beginning of the year, taking his estimated net worth to approximately $269 billion at the time.
The latest losses come as Meta continues to make artificial intelligence a central part of its long-term growth strategy.
In August 2026, Zuckerberg pushed back against concerns that advanced AI could lead to widespread job losses.
He argued that the technology could instead expand individual capabilities, support the creation of new businesses and contribute to higher employment.
For investors, however, Meta’s aggressive AI spending remains a key focus as the company seeks to demonstrate that its growing investments in infrastructure, talent and AI models can translate into sustainable revenue and profits.