First comes IPO, then comes marriage. We’re guessing Mark Zuckerberg is going to remember this weekend for years to come.
Last Friday, Facebook finally went public after years of hushed anticipation. But for its CEO, that may not be the biggest event to occur this past weekend: just the day after, the 28-year-old billionaire tied the knot with college sweetheart Priscilla Chan in a surprise ceremony, prompting the status update heard ’round the world.
(VIDEO: An Interview with Mark Zuckerberg)
Zuckerberg wed Chan in Palo Alto, Calif. at their home in an intimate gathering. Most of the guests in attendance were caught unaware; instead, they thought they were attending a party in honor of Chan’s graduation from medical school.
The couple had been dating for nine years, ever since they met each other at Harvard. According to reports, Zuckerberg created the wedding ring himself, with a simple ruby.
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Zuckerberg told ABC News, “She’s going to be a pediatrician so our dinner conversations are often about Facebook and kids and the kids that she’s meeting. She’ll see them getting sicker and then all of a sudden an organ becomes available and she comes home and her face is all lit up because someone’s life is going to better because of this.”
And with Facebook shares slumping on their first full day of trading, we’re glad Zuck has something to cheer him up.
Erica Ho is a contributor at TIME and the editor of Map Happy. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.