Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg
Born	(1969-08-28) August 28, 1969 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation(s)	Technology executive, philanthropist, author
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Chief Operating Officer of Meta Platforms (2008–2022), founder of LeanIn.Org

Sheryl Kara Sandberg (born August 28, 1969) is an American executive in the technology sector, a philanthropist, and an author. She held the position of chief operating officer at Meta Platforms from 2008 until 2022 and is the founder of LeanIn.Org.

As the first female member elected to Facebook's board of directors, Sandberg was instrumental in driving the company’s advertising division, which significantly contributed to Facebook’s profitability. Prior to her role at Facebook, she was the vice president responsible for global online sales and operations at Google, where she also played a role in its charitable branch, Google.org. Sandberg completed her education at Harvard University and initially worked as a research assistant to Lawrence Summers at the World Bank. She later became his chief of staff during his term as United States Secretary of the Treasury.

In 2012, she was recognized on the Time 100 list highlighting the most influential individuals. As reported by Forbes Magazine, her net worth was valued at approximately US$1.7 billion in 2021, mainly due to her equity in Facebook and other enterprises. Sandberg stepped down from her COO role at Meta in 2022 but continued serving on its board. In January 2024, she announced she would not pursue re-election to Meta’s board in the upcoming May 2024 vote.

By July 2025, Forbes estimated Sandberg's net worth had grown to $2.4 billion.

Early life and education

Born in 1969 in Washington, D.C. into a Jewish family, Sandberg is the oldest of three siblings. Her mother, Adele (née Einhorn), was a college French instructor with Belarusian immigrant heritage, while her father, Joel Sandberg, worked as an ophthalmologist. The family relocated to North Miami Beach, Florida when she was two years old. She graduated from North Miami Beach High School in 1987, ranking ninth academically. During her high school years, she held the position of sophomore class president, was inducted into the National Honor Society, served on the senior class executive board, and taught aerobics classes.

Sandberg began her studies at Harvard College in 1987 and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics summa cum laude and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. She earned the John H. Williams Prize as the top student in economics and co-founded Women in Economics and Government. While at Harvard, she met Professor Lawrence Summers, who became both her mentor and thesis advisor. Summers invited her to join him as a research assistant at the World Bank, where she worked for about one year on health initiatives in India, focusing on diseases such as leprosy, AIDS, and blindness.

She completed her MBA at Harvard Business School in 1995 with highest honors and received a fellowship during her first year.

Early career

Following business school graduation in 1995, Sandberg spent roughly a year (1995–1996) working as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. From 1996 through 2001, she acted as chief of staff to Lawrence Summers, who was then serving as United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton. In this capacity, she supported initiatives related to debt relief during the Asian financial crisis.

In 2001, Sandberg joined Google where she managed online advertising sales and publishing product sales operations alongside consumer product sales and Google Book Search efforts. Throughout her time there, she grew the advertising and sales team from just four members to approximately 4,000 employees.

Facebook / Meta Platforms

At a Christmas gathering in late 2007, Facebook's co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg encountered Sandberg. Although no official recruitment was underway, Zuckerberg immediately recognized her as an ideal candidate for the COO position. By March 2008, Facebook publicly announced Sandberg's appointment and her subsequent exit from Google.

Once she joined Facebook, Sandberg redirected the company’s strategy toward generating revenue primarily through advertising. By 2010, Facebook had achieved profitability by integrating ads in a subtle manner. As of 2012, her responsibilities encompassed overseeing business operations such as sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy, and corporate communications.

In 2012, Sandberg became the eighth member to join Facebook's board of directors. By April 2014, she had divested more than half of her shares following the company's IPO, maintaining ownership of around 17.2 million shares—equivalent to roughly 0.5% of the company and valued at approximately $1 billion.

During 2018, Sandberg was instrumental in steering Facebook’s public relations through challenges stemming from Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections and the Cambridge Analytica data breach. Reports suggested that Zuckerberg personally held her accountable for certain elements of the controversy, which reportedly caused her considerable distress.

Later that year, it emerged that Sandberg had asked Facebook’s communications team to investigate investor George Soros after he publicly criticized technology companies. Facebook clarified that this inquiry had already been initiated prior to her request.

On June 1, 2022, Sandberg announced her intention to resign as Meta’s COO in the fall of that year while continuing to serve on the board. She described this decision as "time for me to write the next chapter of my life." In January 2024, she revealed plans to step down from the board in May and not pursue re-election.

In January 2025, Delaware Chancery Court vice chancellor J. Travis Laster imposed sanctions on Sandberg for deleting emails from her personal account related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. These emails were pertinent to a shareholder lawsuit filed in 2018 and their removal violated a court-issued litigation hold.

Board roles

Sandberg joined The Walt Disney Company board in 2009. Her current board memberships include Women for Women International, the Center for Global Development, and V-Day. Previously, she served on boards for Meta Platforms, Starbucks, the Brookings Institution, and the Ad Council.

Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners

In 2021, Sandberg partnered with her husband Tom Bernthal to establish Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, aimed at investing their personal capital into emerging start-ups. In November 2023, their firm backed Cercle, an AI-focused healthcare enterprise. By April 2024, they participated in a $145 million financing round for Pigment SAS, a French software company.

Other work and ventures

Sandberg expressed support for her mentor Larry Summers in 2008. She has delivered keynote addresses at prominent venues including the Jewish Community Federation's Business Leadership Council (2010), TED ("Why we have too few women leaders," 2010), Barnard College (2011), Harvard Business School (2012), Colgate University Entrepreneur Weekend (2013), and UC Berkeley (2016), where she openly discussed her husband’s passing and highlighted themes of resilience. Additionally, she spoke at Virginia Tech’s Class of 2017 commencement and MIT’s graduation ceremony in 2018. In 2015, she endorsed an open letter urging global leaders to focus development funding on women. Sandberg has also contributed as an advisory board member for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Lean In

Sandberg's debut book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, co-written with Nell Scovell and published by Knopf on March 11, 2013, explores themes of leadership in business, the scarcity of women in executive positions, and feminist perspectives. By the autumn of 2013, it had surpassed one million copies sold and reached the top of bestseller charts.

Reception of Lean In was varied. Marissa Orr’s book Lean Out critiques the idea that women should emulate men, advocating instead for societal changes to accommodate women's experiences. Critics from Vox Media pointed out that Sandberg’s work neglects the difficulties faced by mothers unable to "lean in." Zoe Williams from The Guardian described the book as "an infantilizing, reactionary manual for ambitious women," emphasizing contradictions in Sandberg’s approach to workplace sexism. Furthermore, The Guardian depicted Sandberg as a COO who avoided active involvement during crises.

After the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, Roger McNamee questioned Sandberg’s dedication to "leaning in," asserting she failed to do so when it was most critical.

Option B

Sandberg’s second publication, Option B, co-authored with Wharton professor Adam Grant, was launched in April 2017. The book centers on coping with grief and fostering psychological resilience amid adversity, providing actionable advice for strengthening resilience within families and communities. Since its release, it has sold approximately 2.75 million copies.

Ban Bossy

In March 2014, Sandberg and Lean In initiated the Ban Bossy campaign, which sought to discourage using the term bossy due to its detrimental effect on young girls’ confidence in leadership roles. The initiative featured video endorsements from prominent figures such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Garner, and Condoleezza Rice, supported by an online platform offering educational resources for schools, leadership guidance, and a pledge encouraging people to avoid the word.

Screams Before Silence

Released on YouTube in April 2024, Screams Before Silence is a documentary led by Sandberg that highlights alleged sexual violence committed by Hamas during the October 7th assault on Israel. Sandberg has referred to this project as the most significant work of her career.

Philanthropy

In November 2016, Sandberg renamed her Lean In Foundation to the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation as a tribute to herself and her late husband. This foundation administers LeanIn.Org along with a new entity connected to her book Option B. To support these causes, she donated roughly $100 million worth of Facebook stock.

In October 2024, through her foundation, Sandberg contributed $5 million to Marshall University for its 'Marshall For All' initiative.

Allegations

In her 2025 memoir Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams accuses Sandberg of repeatedly inviting young female employees—including Wynn-Williams herself—to "come to bed" with her during trips aboard Facebook's private jet, where a private bedroom was available.

The earliest recorded instance appears in a chapter titled "Lean in and Lie Back," where Sandberg is said to have pressured Wynn-Williams. Sandberg allegedly confessed to making similar advances toward other female staffers, notably one named Sadie. Wynn-Williams rejected these propositions and further claims that Sandberg invited Sadie to try on costly lingerie at her residence and spend the night there.

Personal life

In 1993, Sandberg wed Brian Kraff, but their marriage ended in divorce after one year. She later married Dave Goldberg in 2004, who was then a Yahoo! executive and subsequently became CEO of SurveyMonkey. Together, they had two children, a son and a daughter. The couple frequently spoke about their partnership based on dual incomes and shared parenting responsibilities. Sandberg also emphasized the challenges single parents face in balancing career growth and financial stability within the United States.

Tragically, on May 1, 2015, Dave Goldberg passed away unexpectedly while on vacation in Mexico. Early reports suggested head injuries from a treadmill accident; however, an autopsy revealed arrhythmia as the actual cause of death, which Sandberg confirmed during an interview.

Between 2016 and 2019, Sandberg was in a relationship with Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. A 2022 investigation by The Wall Street Journal uncovered Sandberg's role in efforts to block the Daily Mail from publishing a story about a restraining order filed against Kotick by a former partner. At that time, Kotick’s company was embroiled in multiple lawsuits related to widespread sexual misconduct allegations, some implicating him directly. Facebook conducted an internal review to determine if Sandberg’s actions breached company policies during these efforts.

On February 3, 2020, Sandberg announced her engagement to Tom Bernthal, CEO of Kelton Global; they married in August 2022. Bernthal has three children from previous relationships, while Sandberg has two children from her previous marriage. The family currently lives together in Menlo Park, California.

Politics

Sandberg publicly supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. Although she did not endorse Elizabeth Warren, known for her criticism of Facebook, in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Sandberg expressed her intention to back any Democratic candidate over then-President Donald Trump. For the 2024 election, she has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.

Honors

• Included multiple times among the 50 "Most Powerful Women in Business" by Fortune:
  • Ranked No. 29 in 2007 (the youngest woman on the list)
  • No. 34 in 2008
  • No. 22 in 2009
  • No. 16 in 2010
  • No. 10 in 2014
  • No. 6 in both 2016 and 2018
  • No. 5 in 2017
• Appeared on The Wall Street Journal "Women to Watch" list:
  • No. 19 in 2007
  • No. 21 in 2008
• Named one of the "25 Most Influential People on the Web" by Business Week in 2009.
• Featured among the world's top 100 most powerful women by Forbes:
  • Ranked No. 9 in 2014, just behind Michelle Obama
  • No. 4 in 2017
  • No. 36 in 2021
• Positioned at No. 3 under the "Evangelists" category on the Newsweek and The Daily Beast Digital Power Index (2012).
• Included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people (2012).
• Her book Lean In was shortlisted for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award in 2013.
• Ranked No. 8 among "The World's 50 Most Influential Jews" by The Jerusalem Post (2013).

Books

• Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Knopf, published in 2013.
• Co-written with Adam Grant: Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy. Knopf, released in 2017.

External links

• Sheryl Sandberg on Facebook