Being rich and famous comes with perks such as private jets, luxury homes and expensive vacations. But there’s another side to being in the spotlight that many people don’t think about – the need for constant security. And when you’re one of the world’s most well-known billionaires, that protection can come at an eye-popping cost.
Don’t Miss:
Regarding keeping billionaires safe, one name stands above the rest: Mark Zuckerberg. Fortune reported that in 2023, Meta (NASDAQ:META) spent $23.4 million to keep its CEO and founder safe. To put that in perspective, that’s almost 10 times more than what Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) paid to protect Elon Musk during the same year. If you thought Musk’s high-profile lifestyle came with a big security bill, Zuckerberg’s costs are on a whole different level.
Of the $23.4 million, $9.4 million was spent directly on security services for Zuckerberg and another $14 million was paid as an annual allowance to cover other security-related costs for him and his family. The company pays for everything from round-the-clock bodyguards to advanced home monitoring systems. Meta claims that since the CEO is so closely associated with the company, keeping him secure is crucial because if anything were to happen to Zuckerberg, it would directly impact Meta’s reputation and business.
See Also: Deloitte’s fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Last Chance to get 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.26/share!
In comparison, Elon Musk’s security expenses seem modest. Tesla reportedly spent around $2.4 million in 2023 to keep Musk safe, plus an additional $500,000 for early 2024. That’s still a lot of money, but nowhere near Zuckerberg’s level. Musk’s controversial opinions and habit of being in the public eye certainly put a target on his back, but even he doesn’t require the kind of protective detail that Zuckerberg does.
Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it?
But Zuckerberg and Musk aren’t the only tech giants who need protection. In 2023, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Google’s parent company, spent $6.8 million on security for its CEO, Sundar Pichai. Even Jensen Huang of Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), the CEO whose chips power some of the world’s most advanced tech, had a $2.2 million security tab. For Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook, security costs for the year were around $820,000.
Even though these figures appear quite high, they accurately depict the realities of being a well-known CEO in the modern tech industry. These leaders are in actual danger of being kidnapped, extorted or having their lives threatened. Being at the top comes at a high cost, yet for these companies, protecting their leaders is crucial no matter what.
Read Next:
UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets.
Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga?
This article It Costs 10 Times More To Protect This Billionaire Than It Costs To Protect Elon Musk originally appeared on Benzinga.com
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Source: finance.yahoo.com