Mark Zuckerberg is now a student pilot, a report says.
Charles Platiau/Reuters
Mark Zuckerberg obtained his student pilot certificate earlier this year, The Information reported.
If he earns his license, he’ll join Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and other tech bros in the cockpit.
Zuckerberg has also taken up jiu-jitsu and MMA fighting as well as running Meta.
It seems MMA fighting and running Meta is just not enough to keep Mark Zuckerberg occupied – he now wants to get in the cockpit too.
The Information reported on Saturday that the billionaire obtained his student pilot certificate earlier this year, citing Federal Aviation Administration records.
Being able to pilot a plane would put Zuckerberg in an elite club that includes other tech bros such as Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Musk once owned and flew aircraft including a fighter jet before deciding to step back from the hobby.
“Sadly, I don’t pilot myself any more,” Musk said in September 2008 during a live web chat with The Washington Post. “I have to work when I fly and have too many thoughts in my head to pay the necessary attention to the plane — I can be absentminded at times, which is a really bad habit for a pilot.”
Flying isn’t the only extreme hobby Zuckerberg has pursued recently. The father of three has been training in jiu-jitsu and MMA fighting, and shared that he’s turned to exercise as a “reset” for his body.
Mark Zuckerberg participates in jiu-jitsu tournaments.
Mark Zuckerberg/Instagram
The buzz around Zuckerberg’s jiu-jitsu skills prompted Musk to tweet he’s “up for a cage match” against his tech rival amid the launch of Meta’s Twitter killer, Threads.
According to Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, the pair are “dead serious” about making the match happen.
John Travolta, however, remains probably the most prominent celebrity pilot. He’s had his license for more than 40 years, per Simple Flying, and is qualified to fly not only the Boeing 707 and 737, but the 747 Jumbo as well.
—Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) October 22, 2022
The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.