'Carthago Delenda Est:' Was Mark Zuckerberg's Cryptic Birthday Tee A Meta Message Or A Party Joke?

Mark Zuckerberg’s 40th birthday party outfit has sparked a wave of speculation. The Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO’s attire, particularly a T-shirt with a Latin phrase, has led to a flurry of theories about its significance.

What Happened: Zuckerberg’s birthday party was organized by his wife, Priscilla Chan, and featured miniature replicas of significant places in his life.

However, it was Zuckerberg’s outfit that caught the attention of many. In particular, his T-shirt, which bore the Latin phrase “Carthago delenda est” (Carthage must be destroyed), raised eyebrows.

The phrase traces its origins to debates in the Roman Senate preceding the Third Punic War (149–146 BC) between Rome and Carthage. Cato the Elder, a prominent politician of the Roman Republic, purportedly concluded all his speeches with this phrase, advocating for the war.

It is also linked to Zuckerberg’s interest in Roman history, with his daughters being named after Roman emperors, reported Business Insider on Wednesday.

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There are several theories about the T-shirt. It could be a designer shirt, a gift from someone at the party, or a nod to a significant phase in Facebook’s history. The shirt’s fit and the fold lines suggest it was worn for the first time at the party.

Another point of interest was Zuckerberg’s gold chain, which was absent in some photos. The chain necklace has become somewhat of an internet sensation following the widespread circulation of digitally manipulated images depicting Zuckerberg wearing a chain and sporting a beard.

Chan’s Instagram caption hinted that the party was also a roast, with attendees, including Bill Gates and Joel Kaplan, dressing up in a Zuckerberg costume. This led to the theory that Zuckerberg’s outfit was gifted to him as a joke during the party.

Why It Matters: Since the inception of Facebook in 2004 at Harvard University, Zuckerberg has steered Meta from its initial concentration solely on a single social network to broadening its scope to include messaging and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence.

He has experienced a notable evolution, transitioning from a reserved founder to an individual with diverse interests, ranging from managing cattle on his $100 million Hawaii ranch to engaging in mixed martial arts or MMA training.

At the time of writing, Zuckerberg’s total net worth was $171 billion, making him the fourth person on the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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