Facebook says its top product executive is leaving
Cox’s exit follows a trail of high-level departures from the social network
Facebook’s top executive in charge of all products, Chris Cox, the longtime confidant of Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, is leaving the company, the highest- level departure at the social media giant and follows nearly two years of sustained crises.
Cox’s unexpected departure, which he and Zuckerberg announced in separate Facebook posts Thursday, comes months after Cox was promoted in a major reorganization. Last May, Cox was put in charge of Facebook’s “family of apps,” including Instagram, Messenger, Whats- App, and Facebook itself — which together have over 2.7 billion users worldwide. These apps have been distinct until recently, when Zuckerberg announced plans to unify them under a banner of/with a new focus on privacy.
“It is with great sadness I share with you that after thirteen years, I’ve decided to leave the company,” Cox wrote in his post.
“Since I was twentythree, I’ve poured myself into these walls. This place will forever be a part of me.” Cox didn’t offer any explanation for his departure.
In his blog post, Zuckerberg said that Cox had told him that he planned to move on several years ago, but that Cox decided to hold off on leaving until the company made more progress combating misinformation and Russian meddling — controversies that erupted in the wake of the 2016 election. “For a few years, Chris has been discussing with me his desire to do something else. He is one of the most talented people I know and he has the potential to do anything he wants. But after 2016, we both realized we had too much important work to do to improve our products for society, and he stayed to help us work through these issues and help us chart a course for our family of apps going forward,” Zuckerberg wrote. “At this point, we have made real progress on many issues and we have a clear plan for our apps, centered around making private messaging, stories and groups the foundation of the experience, including enabling encryption and interoperability across our services. As we embark on this next major chapter, Chris has decided now is the time to step back from leading these teams.”