Zuckerberg's gift to neighbors sparks controversy: "Very insulting"

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is having 7,000 square meters of underground bunkers and tunnels dug beneath his 11-parcel mansion in Palo Alto. These eight-year-long construction projects have created constant noise and heavy machinery traffic in the neighborhood. Neighbors have also complained about other "excessive" projects, including high-security walls, 24/7 private security patrols, surveillance systems, and the bulk purchase of homes in the neighborhood, which have been ongoing for over 14 years. According to the New York Times, Zuckerberg's preferred method of defusing this tension is striking: gifting luxury chocolates, champagne, and even noise-canceling headphones. According to neighbors, these gestures are humiliating and fail to address the real problem.

"THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS OCCUPIED"

Michael Kieschnick, who has lived in the area for over 30 years, said the situation has now become an occupation, saying, “No neighborhood wants to be occupied. But that’s exactly what they did.” The local government is the focus of criticism. According to the newspaper, Palo Alto police temporarily closed the public road in front of Zuckerberg’s mansion during his private reception and took over security. Neighbors interpret this attitude of city officials as “letting billionaires rewrite the rules in their own way.”