Facebook founder is the most influential

In six years, the social networking site Facebook has acquired over 500 million users worldwide and is worth billions of dollars. Hardly surprising then that Time magazine has picked its founder Mark Zuckerberg as the ‘person of the year’ for 2010.

At 26, Zuckeberg stands at the forefront of a communications revolution. In addition to the success of Facebook, Zuckerberg has also followed in the footsteps of the world’s biggest philanthropist and doyen of the world of computer software, Bill Gates, and given away $100 million dollars to improve the school system in New Jersey.

Social networking sites like Facebook have redefined older concepts of ‘community’, as people stay in touch from across the world. Zuckerberg also fits the pattern of the young computer geek who finds his aptitude at a very young age.

He is only 26, the second youngest winner of the Time award since aviator Charles Lindbergh who won at 25. Apart from his success with Facebook, Zuckerberg has also had a biopic made on him this year. All in all, quite a record for a man at an age when most are just starting out on their lives.