Mark Zuckerberg's daughter wants to be like Taylor Swift. Facebook founder's reply will surprise you

In a recent episode of the "Acquired" podcast, Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Meta, shared a lighthearted yet insightful conversation with his daughter, August. The interaction arose after a family outing to a Taylor Swift concert, where the seven-year-old expressed her dream of becoming like the pop sensation.

Mark Zuckerberg Gives Reality Check

Zuckerberg recalled, “We took her to a Taylor Swift concert, and she said, ‘You know Dad, I kind of want to be like Taylor Swift when I grow up.’” However, the tech mogul quickly responded, “But you can’t. That’s not available to you.” While he didn’t elaborate on why he felt this way, the comment reflects a broader lesson about originality and pursuing one’s own path.

After considering her father's words, August changed her tune, stating, “Alright, when I grow up, I want people to want to be like August Chan Zuckerberg.” Proud of her newfound aspiration, Zuckerberg exclaimed, “Hell yeah. Hell yeah.”


Interestingly, August shares her name with one of Swift’s tracks from the Grammy-nominated album "Folklore," further intertwining their worlds. Despite discouraging his daughter from aspiring to be like Swift, Zuckerberg is no stranger to the pop star’s influence; he attended the Eras Tour with his family and posted on social media about the experience, donning friendship bracelets and face gems, dubbing it the “Life of a girl dad.”

Social Media Reactions

Reactions on social media have been mixed regarding his comments. Some users expressed that while Taylor Swift is undeniably talented, it’s essential to nurture dreams, no matter how lofty. One user noted, “Sure, Taylor Swift is a once-in-a-lifetime musical genius, but one does not simply quash dreams like that.”

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are parents to three daughters: Maxima, 8, August, and Aurelia, 13 months. During the podcast, Zuckerberg also discussed the importance of authenticity for entrepreneurs, advising them to “do something you care about” and learn from both successes and failures.

Reflecting on his journey, Zuckerberg shared that originality is key to building something meaningful, a principle that resonates well beyond the tech industry.