Zuckerberg gets $25 bn richer in a day

Mark Zuckerberg's net worth surged by an estimated $25 billion in a single day after shares of Meta Platforms jumped nearly 12 per cent after the company announced artificial intelligence ambitions ahead of its annual Meta Connect conference.

According to Forbes estimates, Zuckerberg's fortune climbed to approximately $253.6 billion as Meta's stock extended gains during Monday's trading session.

The Meta founder initially added around $12.9 billion to his wealth in early trading, but the rally strengthened through the day, pushing his one-day increase to an estimated $25 billion by midday.

The sharp rise in Meta's valuation made Zuckerberg one of the biggest wealth gainers globally. As of Monday afternoon, he ranked sixth on Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires list, trailing Google co-founder Sergey Brin by roughly $14.5 billion.

His gains also outpaced those of other top billionaires, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose wealth increased by an estimated $12 billion during the session.

Investor sentiment received a boost after Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta shares to $796 from $640 while maintaining its "overweight" rating.

The brokerage highlighted user adoption trends for Meta's newly launched AI agent, Muse, as a key factor to watch ahead of the company's upcoming product announcements.

Meta unveiled Muse earlier this month as a personal AI assistant designed to perform tasks rather than simply respond to questions. The company said the AI agent can carry out actions such as sending emails, making travel bookings and coordinating tasks across connected applications.

Zuckerberg has positioned the product as part of Meta's broader vision of delivering "personal superintelligence" to users across its platforms.

The company's artificial intelligence strategy is expected to take center stage at Meta Connect 2026, scheduled for September 23-24. Industry observers expect Meta to showcase advancements in AI agents, software capabilities and smart wearable devices during the event.