Mark Zuckerberg’s parents. Edward Zuckerberg and Karen Kempner-Zuckerberg, have been supportive of their son’s interest in technology since he was very young and tinkering with their home computer in the 1980s and ‘90s.
In fact, Edward describes himself as an “early adopter of technology” both at home and in his dental practice, which he ran for decades in the family’s hometown of Dobbs Ferry, New York, and then in the Bay Area, where he and Karen moved to be closer to their grandkids. Karen, a licensed psychiatrist, ran the business end of the dental practice for many years while also practicing psychiatry.
Now, they’re focused on the future. Edward consults with dental practices about adopting technology, works with companies developing artificial intelligence for dentistry, and spoke at the 2023 South by Southwest Festival.
They have four adult children: Randi, Mark, Donna and Arielle. Mark often expresses his feelings about his family on his social media platforms, including how being raised with such a strong support system inspires him and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan to carry that forward into their own family. The couple have three daughters: Maxima, August and Aurelia.
When Edward and Karen celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary in December 2022, he posted a photo of the couple celebrating over dinner, captioning it: “43 years with this amazing lady and can’t get enough of her. Back to our favorite restaurant where we have celebrated many anniversaries together. I love you KZ!”
But who are Edward and Karen Zuckerberg? Read on to learn about their experience raising their family, their work in philanthropy and their belief that technology can be a force of good in the world.
