Get All Access for $5/mo

Watch a Teenage Mark Zuckerberg React to Getting Into Harvard Witness the earliest beginnings of Facebook.

By Nina Zipkin

catwalker | Shutterstock
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Graduation season is upon us, and this year, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is one of the many high profile figures who was tapped to make a commencement speech -- at his erstwhile alma mater Harvard.

Zuckerberg famously left the respected institution of higher learning a few semesters short of being able to get his diploma in order to create the global force that is Facebook. Thirteen years and more than 1 billion users later, the decision seems like it worked for him.

Related: Watch Mark Zuckerberg Ask Fellow Harvard Dropout Bill Gates for Advice on His Harvard Commencement Speech

But even though he is one of biggest tech leaders today, not too long ago, Zuckerberg was just a teenager from suburban New York waiting to hear whether he got into his dream school.

This week, ahead of his return to Harvard to finally nab that degree and inspire the class of 2017, he posted a video his father took of him when he received his acceptance from the school.

Sitting on his bed, illuminated by the light of a now very outmoded computer, the 17-year-old Zuckerberg says, in a quiet, measured tone, "yay, I got accepted," while his dad cheers from behind the camera. And the rest is history.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.

Business News

The Most Downloaded News App in the U.S. May Have Published Dozens of Fake, AI-Written Stories

The stories were fake but had real-world consequences for the app's 50 million monthly users.

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.

Business News

She Tracked Her Missing Luggage With an Apple Device — Straight to an Airport Employee's Home

Paola Garcia flew into Terminal 4 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport last month when she noticed her luggage never made it to the carousel — then her Apple Watch started pinging.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

3 Non-Financial Factors That Could Impact Your Business' Value

For healthy companies that want to maximize their value, the qualitative indicators can be bundled into three main categories.