Facebook CEO unveils education foundation as a public relations counterbalance?

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled today the creation of "Startup: Education" a charitable foundation to "improve educational opportunities for young people in America. Its first project, to be announced later today on The Oprah Winfrey Show, is a $100 million donation (by Zuckerberg) to support the public school system in the troubled city of Newark, N.J.

Among others, Newark mayor Cory Booker and New Jersey governor Chris Christie, will also start funds to increment “Zukerberg’s Startup Education”.

Though a great initiative, critics are questioning the timing of the announcement.

On Friday night, the New York Film Festival will feature the official premiere of "The Social Network," the David Fincher-directed film about Facebook's origins that portrays Zuckerberg as scheming, backstabbing, and self-centered.

Hence the critics are speculating that the 26-year-old Zuckerberg hastily pushed a charitable initiative out the door as a public relations counterbalance to his high ranking on Forbes' magazine's annual list of billionaires, in which he is placed ahead of the likes of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

What do you think? --------

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