Mark Zuckerberg's parents, Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner supported all four of their children's passions while pursuing their own successful work. They both went into medicine, although the Meta founder's mother later abandoned her profession.
Mark Zuckerberg's parents, Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner supported all four of their children's passions while pursuing their own successful work. They both went into medicine, although the Meta founder's mother later abandoned her profession.
Mark Zuckerberg's parents, Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner raised a family of six just outside New York City in the quiet village of Dobbs Ferry. Although Edward Zuckerberg went into medicine, he was keenly interested in technology, and so were his kids.
He and Karen Kempner didn't have a clear-cut vision for their children's futures, but they encouraged them to do their best at whatever they chose. Several years after the successful launch of Facebook, Edward Zuckerberg was invited for an interview at a local radio show.
Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner attend the 7th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center on November 4, 2018, in Mountain View, California. | Source: Getty Images
Parents flooded the radio lines almost immediately, eager to know how he had raised a billionaire. When asked about "tiger parenting" and "corporal punishment," he said he never employed either parenting style.
"Look, you have successful kids, and people are going to want to emulate your formula. But we don't profess any special child-rearing skills," Edward noted. Still, the best advice he could offer parents was to support their children's passions and to "spend more time on them than you spend on anything else."
Edward Zuckerberg, Randi Zuckerberg, and Karen Zuckerberg attend Lincoln Center's American Songbook Gala at Alice Tully Hall on May 29, 2018, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Mark Zuckerberg's Parents: His Father, a Dentist, and His Mother, a Licensed Therapist
Edward attained a Bachelor's in Biology from Brooklyn College in 1975, after which he enrolled at New York University College of Dentistry. He graduated with his DDS in Dentistry in 1978 and served his residency at the Brooklyn Veterans Administration Hospital.
A year later, he established his own practice in Dobbs Ferry, which he closed in 2013. After relocating, he began working part-time at Rejuvenate Dental. Additionally, in 2021, he joined Cupertino Dental Group, also working part-time.
Edward Zuckerberg attends the 2020 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center on November 3, 2019, in Mountain View, California. | Source: Getty Images
In 2010, Edward launched the Dental Practice Management & Social Media Consulting agency Painless Social Media, which currently remains active. His wife, Karen, also studied at Brooklyn College, moved on to New York Medical College, and eventually attained her license to practice psychiatry.
She worked as Edward's office manager during their time at Dobbs Ferry. Edward called her his "most overqualified employee." Karen returned to psychiatry briefly, but, as her husband shared, "She saw those people in the chair, and she didn't want her kids to turn out to be one of them." So, she left.
Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner stand at the request of Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, during a town hall event at Facebook headquarters on September 27, 2015, in Menlo Park, California. | Source: Getty Images
Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner Met on a Blind Date
The couple met when Karen was an undergraduate at Brooklyn College, and Edward had moved on to NYU. Their love story began with a blind date, presumably in the mid-70s. They married in 1979 and found an apartment in White Plains.
They put a down payment on their Dobbs Ferry home a year later and began expanding their family after settling. The couple welcomed Randi in 1982, Mark in 1984, Donna in 1987, and finally completed their brood with Arielle.
Edward Zuckerberg, Randi Zuckerberg, and Karen Zuckerberg attend Lincoln Center's American Songbook Gala at Alice Tully Hall on May 29, 2018, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner Are Doting Grandparents
Edward and Karen raised a tight-knit family. Before their kids went to college, they gave each the option of opening a McDonald's franchise. Three of them joined the technology advancement and social media industries, except Donna, who became a writer.
In addition to achieving remarkable success, most of Edward and Karen's children have married and started their own families. Donna has a husband and two children. Randi is married to Brent Tworetzky, and the couple has two sons, Asher and Simcha.
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