Why Zuckerberg should quit worrying about his investors

As the US emerges from perhaps the most divisive election in living memory, Facebook Inc.’s role in perpetuating social fragmentation should come back into focus. It’s resurrected a question that has long puzzled me: Why does chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg seem to care so much about his shareholders?

He has built a business behemoth, is rich surely beyond his wildest dreams and his control of the company means that there’s almost nothing investors can do to replace him. And yet time and again, when presented with a choice between making Facebook—and society—a gentler, better place, versus fuelling user growth and engagement, he seems to opt for the latter.

In doing so he is essentially prioritizing shareholder value. “But that’s his fiduciary duty!” I hear the Milton Friedman purists among you holler. But is it?