‘MARRIED’: Outgoing Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg ties the knot with businessman Tom Bernthal in cowboy-themed Wyoming wedding with groom’s film star brother Jon serving as best man
- Outgoing Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, 52, married Tom Bernthal, 50, the founder and former CEO of Kelton Global, on Saturday at the Four Seasons resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, surrounded by family and friends
- The happy couple revealed their wedding photos on Instagram with the caption ‘MARRIED’
- The lavish ski resort was booked for guests including the groom’s brother, Hollywood actor Jon Bernthal, along with tech titans and Washington, DC, power players, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken
- The couple incorporated Western touches into their day, like the groom’s outfit of jeans and cowboy boots
- Sandberg, a business executive and philanthropist, who has a net worth of $1.5 billion, announced in June that she will be stepping down as Meta’s COO this fall after 14 years at the company
- At the time of her resignation, Sandberg was the subject of an internal investigation over her use of corporate resources to help plan the wedding
Outgoing Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg and businessman Tom Bernthal tied the knot in a cowboy-themed wedding over the weekend.
Sandberg, 52, married Bernthal, 50, the founder and former CEO of Kelton Global, on Saturday in Wyoming, the happy couple revealed on Instagram.
The wedding was held at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, sources told Page Six – with the entire hotel booked for guests including the groom’s brother, Hollywood actor Jon Bernthal, along with tech titans and Washington, DC, power players, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.
Sandberg, who has a net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes, announced in June that she is stepping down from Meta in the fall to focus on ‘foundation and philanthropic work’ but said she would continue to serve on its board.
It was reported that she had stepped down amid an investigation over her use of corporate resources to help plan the wedding, which took place over the weekend, as another power couple – JLo and Ben Affleck – were also tying the knot across the country in Georgia.
In an Instagram post late Saturday night, Sandberg shared a picture of herself and her new husband in with the caption: ‘MARRIED ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️’
The couple, who got engaged on a ranch and share a love of country music, incorporated several Western touches into their special day, which included the groom’s outfit of jeans and cowboy boots, according to People Magazine.
Following Saturday’s nuptials, Bernthal also shared the couple’s wedding picture on his own account, with the heartfelt caption: ‘After both experiencing loss, @sherylsandberg and I weren’t sure we would ever find love again. Over the last three years, we’ve merged our lives and blended our families. Our wedding today was a dream come true.’
Outgoing Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, 52, married Tom Bernthal, 50, the founder and former CEO of Kelton Global, on Saturday in Wyoming, the happy couple said on Instagram
The wedding was held at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, sources told Page Six
The couple, who got engaged on a ranch and share a love of country music, tied the knot in Wyoming and incorporated several Western touches into their special day
Sandberg, and Tom Bernthal walk to a morning session during the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 6, 2022 in Sun Valley, Idaho, at conference where the most wealthy and powerful from the media, finance, and tech meet
Locals told Page Six that the day before the wedding, a welcome party was held for the guests and at least four helicopters were seen flying back and forth to the top of the mountain at the resort.
Bernthal’s famous brother Bernthal, who served as his best man, was spotted playing touch football with some of the other guests outside at the resort on the day of the ceremony, sources said.
‘Jon was out there playing football in a big ol’ cowboy hat!’ a starstruck local said.
The actor rose to fame after his role of Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead, and has gone one to snag roles in Wolf of Wall Street, The Punisher, and King Richard. Most recently, he’s showing his softer side in Lena Dunham’s new movie Sharp Stick.
Because the guest list, sources say ‘there were secret service agents’ at the hotel.
‘They bought out the whole hotel for the wedding, and it was on super lockdown,’ said a source.
It’s unclear if Sandberg’s former colleague, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, was at the wedding.
Tom Bernthal’s actor brother Jon Bernthal (pictured here at the Sharp Stick movie premiere on July 25, 2022) served as the best man at the couple’s wedding
Brothers Jon Bernthal and Tom Bernthal are pictured with Sheryl Sandberg in an undated photo
Locals told Page Six that the day before the wedding, a welcome party was held for the guests and at least four helicopters were seen flying back and forth to the top of the mountain at the resort
Because the guest list, sources say ‘there were secret service agents’ at the hotel. ‘They bought out the whole hotel for the wedding, and it was on super lockdown’
The resort is nestled in the in a verdant mountain valley, surrounded by some of America’s most rugged peaks, celebrated ski runs and an inspiring array of wildlife in nearby Grand Teton National Park, according to its website
The resort offers a spa, year-round heated pool, and a bar called The Handle Bar
Sandberg and Bernthal were surrounded by family and friends as they said their vows on Saturday.
The couple’s five children — Sandberg with her son and a daughter, and Bernthal with three children — all served as members of the bridal party.
Sandberg’s children are from her marriage to her late husband Dave Goldberg, who died suddenly in 2015. His brother, Rob, who introduced the couple in 2019, served as a co-officiant, according to People Magazine.
‘It is our wedding as the seven of us,’ Bernthal told People Magazine.
‘We keep saying, ‘We’re all getting married,” Sandberg reportedly added.
In lieu of gifts, the couple asked that guests donate to VOW and CARE to fund anti-child marriage programs and poverty alleviation efforts, the magazine reported.
Sandberg said: ‘While we are choosing to get married, thousands around the world are still forced to marry as children. We’re making donations ourselves,’ she added, ‘but also inviting our guests to celebrate with us and try to end child marriage.’
The couple has raised $1 million for VOW and $10 million for CARE, it was reported.
The resort offers eight private residences, five suites, three guest rooms and two accessible rooms
In an Instagram post, Sandberg shared a picture of herself and her new husband in with the caption: ‘MARRIED ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️’
Sheryl Sandberg announces her engagement to father-of-three marketing CEO Tom Bernthal after they were introduced by her late husband’s brother
The couple first announced their engagement in 2020. The couple is pictured together in a post where Sandberg promoted Facebooks Voting Information Center
In lieu of gifts for their wedding, the couple asked guests to donate to VOW and CARE to fund anti-child marriage programs and poverty alleviation efforts. They have raised $1 million for VOW and $10 million for CARE, it was reported
Sandberg, one of the most powerful women in tech and the top lieutenant to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, made the decision to leave Meta earlier this year after having worked at the company for 14 years.
‘I’m really focused on what I’m going to do,’ she explained. ‘Next, philanthropically and I am staying on the board and I have a leader of the philanthropy now.’
Sandberg is no stranger to advocacy work. She is the co-founder and board chair of the Lean In Foundation, which acts a global community dedicated to helping foster leadership, advancement and inclusion for women in the workplace.
She also plans to refocus her work on women’s issues and philanthropy as Roe v Wade is under assault.
‘This is a really important moment for women. This is a really important moment for me to be able to do more with my philanthropy, with my foundation,’ Sandberg, 52, told Fortune.
Sources close to Meta’s inner workings told the Wall Street Journal that Sandberg made her surprise exit as the company’s number two while the firm continues to review her wedding to Bernthal, the brother of actor Jon Bernthal.
Although the sources said the investigation was still active, a Meta spokeswoman insisted to DailyMail.com this summer that: ‘Sheryl did not inappropriately use company resources in connection with the planning of her wedding
‘This has nothing to do with Sheryl’s departure from the company.’
Sandberg, 52, who attended the Sun Valley conference with Bernthal, cut a simple figure with a beige blouse, white cardigan and cream pants and sneakers
Sandberg quit her job as Meta’s chief operating officer in June, after she was probed over claims she used company resources to plan her wedding to Bernthal, who also works as a marketing CEO at the company
Sandberg shocked the business world when she announced her departure from the company, saying she was feeling ‘burned out’ and feeling like a ‘punching bag’ over the criticisms Meta and Facebook have faced in recent years, WSJ reported.
The parent company, Meta Platforms, founder Mark Zuckerberg and other execs have faced mounting pressure to re-evaluate their social media services following a bombshell whistle blower report last year that revealed the company was well-aware of the negative effects Instagram was having on teens but did little to change.
Sandberg, who will remain as a Meta board member, allegedly felt the brunt of the pressure, according to those close to her, who suggested she felt targeted by critics because she was the company’s most powerful woman.
Sandberg herself appeared to harbor no ill-will towards Meta or boss Zuckerberg as she said she was excited for the company’s future advances.
‘Sitting by Mark’s side for these 14 years has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime,’ she wrote in her resignation post. ‘I am so immensely proud of everything this team has achieved.’
Sandberg had worked alongside Mark Zuckerberg (right) for 14 years building up the tech giant. She publicly announced her plans to resign in the fall
Sources close to Sandberg, viewed as the most powerful woman in the tech world, said she has been burned out dealing with the controversies surrounding Meta and Facebook
Sandberg has served as chief operating officer at the social media giant since 2008 after leaving Google, four years before Facebook went public.
‘When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life,’ Sandberg wrote on her Facebook page.
She did not say what she planned to do for the next step of her career, only that her immediate focus is on her wedding and charity work.
Sandberg has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion and is a noted philanthropist in addition to authoring the bestselling book in support of professional women, Lean In.
In 2015, Sandberg’s husband Dave Goldberg died tragically and unexpectedly at age 47, after suffering a heart arrhythmia on a treadmill. The couple had shared two children together.
Sandberg had two children with Dave Goldberg (right), who died in 2015
Sandberg later dated Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, but split with him in 2019 after a three-year relationship.
In February 2020, Sandberg announced her engagement to Bernthal.
Prior to joining Facebook, Sandberg was vice president of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google, chief of staff for the United States Treasury Department under former President Bill Clinton.
Her impressive resume also includes stints as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and an economist with the World Bank.
A Harvard University graduate, Sandberg is the author of several books, including the 2013 feminist manifesto Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.
A Harvard University graduate, Sandberg is the author of several books, including the 2013 feminist manifesto Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Sandberg has led Facebook — now Meta’s — advertising business and was responsible for nurturing it from its infancy into an over $100 billion-a-year powerhouse.
As the company’s second most-recognized face — after CEO Mark Zuckerberg — Sandberg has also become a polarizing figure amid revelations of how some of her business decisions for Facebook helped propagate misinformation and hate speech.
As one of the most prominent female executives in the tech industry, she was also often criticized for not doing enough both for women and for others harmed by Facebook’s products.
Her public-speaking expertise, her seemingly effortless ability to bridge the worlds of tech, business and politics served as a sharp contrast to Zuckerberg, especially in Facebook’s early years. But Zuckerberg has since been catching up, trained in part for the several congressional hearings he’s been called to testify in to defend Facebook’s practices.
Neither Sandberg nor Zuckerberg gave any indication that Sandberg’s resignation wasn’t her decision. But she’s also appeared somewhat sidelined in recent years, with other executives close to Zuckerberg, such as Chris Cox — who returned in 2020 as chief product officer after a yearlong break from the company —becoming more prominent.
‘Sheryl Sandberg had an enormous impact on Facebook, Meta, and the broader business world. She helped Facebook build a world-class ad-buying platform and develop groundbreaking ad formats,’ said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst at Insider Intelligence. But she added that Facebook faced ‘huge scandals’ under Sandberg’s watch — including the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the Cambridge Analytica privacy debacle in 2018, and the 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
And now, Meta is ‘facing a slowdown in user growth and ad revenue that is now testing the business foundation that the company was built on,’ she said. ‘The company needs to find a new way forward, and perhaps this was the best time for Sandberg to depart.’
Sandberg is leaving Meta in the fall and will continue to serve on the company’s board.
Zuckerberg said in his own Facebook post that Javier Olivan, who currently oversees key functions at Meta’s four main apps — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger — will serve as Meta’s new COO. But it will be a different job than the one Sandberg held for the past 14 years.
‘It will be a more traditional COO role where Javi will be focused internally and operationally, building on his strong track record of making our execution more efficient and rigorous,’ Zuckerberg wrote.
While Sandberg has long been Zuckerberg’s No. 2, even sitting next to him — pre-pandemic, at least — in the company’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters, she also had a very public-facing job, meeting with lawmakers, holding focus groups and speaking out on issues such as women in the workplace and, most recently, abortion.
‘I think Meta has reached the point where it makes sense for our product and business groups to be more closely integrated, rather than having all the business and operations functions organized separately from our products,’ Zuckerberg wrote.
Sandberg, who lost her husband Dave Goldberg suddenly in 2015, said she is ‘not entirely sure what the future will bring.’
‘But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women,’ she wrote, adding that she is also getting married this summer and that parenting their expanded family of five children will also be a part of this future.
Sandberg, first helped Google build what quickly became the internet’s biggest — and most lucrative — advertising network. But she left that post to take on the challenge of transforming Facebook’s freewheeling social network into a money-making business while also helping to mentor Zuckerberg, who was then 23 to her 38.
Sheryl Sandberg (right), Meta’s COO, resigned amid an investigation over her use of corporate resources to help plan her upcoming wedding to Tom Bernthal (left)
‘This is a really important moment for women. This is a really important moment for me to be able to do more with my philanthropy, with my foundation,’ Sandberg said. She is pictured with Lean In Foundation at a march in January 2019
She proved to be exactly what the then-immature Zuckerberg and the company needed at the right time, helping to pave the way to Facebook’s highly anticipated initial public offering of stock a decade ago.
While Zuckerberg remained Facebook’s visionary and controlling shareholder, Sandberg became engine of a business fueled by a rapidly growing digital ad business that has become nearly as successful as the one that she helped cobbled together around Google’s dominant search engine.
Just like Google’s ad empire, Facebook’s business thrived on its ability to keep its users coming back for more of its free services while leveraging its social networking technology to learn more about people’s interests, habits, and whereabouts — a nosy model that has repeatedly entangled the company in debates about whether a right to personal privacy still exists in an increasingly digital age.
As one of the top female executives in technology, Sandberg has at times has been held up as an inspiration for working women — a role she seemed to embrace with a best-selling 2013 book titled ‘Lean In: Women, Work and the Will To Lead.’
But ‘Lean In’ received immediate criticism. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd called Sandberg a ‘PowerPoint Pied Piper in Prada ankle boots,’ and critics suggested she is the wrong person to lead a women’s movement.
She addressed some of that criticism in a subsequent book that addressed the death of her husband, Dave Goldberg. In 2015 she became a symbol of heartbreaking grief when Goldberg died in an accident while working out on vacation, widowing her with two children as she continued to help run one of the world’s best-known companies.
Sheryl Sandberg (pictured in January 2018), who just stepped down as the chief operating officer of Facebook parent company Meta, said she plans to refocus her work on women’s issues and philanthropy as Roe v Wade is under assault
In early May, Sandberg reiterated her stance on abortion rights, taking to Facebook to say the medical procedure was ‘one of our most fundamental rights.’ She made the post, despite the fact that Meta’s Respectful Communication Policy bans employees from discussing abortion
Sandberg has had some public missteps at the company, including her attempt to deflect blame from Facebook for the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
In an interview later that month that was streamed by Reuters, she said she thought the events of the day were ‘largely organized on platforms that don’t have our abilities to stop hate, don’t have our standards and don’t have our transparency.’
Internal documents revealed by whistleblower Frances Haugen later that year, however, showed that Facebook’s own employees were concerned about the company’s halting and often reversed response to rising extremism in the U.S. that culminated in the events of Jan. 6.
‘Haven’t we had enough time to figure out how to manage discourse without enabling violence?’ one employee wrote on an internal message board at the height of the Jan. 6 turmoil. ‘We’ve been fueling this fire for a long time and we shouldn’t be surprised it’s now out of control.’
Sandberg’s full post announcing her resignation from Meta
Sandberg shared the following in a Facebook post on June 1:
‘Today, I am sharing the news that after 14 years, I will be leaving Meta.
‘When I first met Mark, I was not really looking for a new job – and I could have never predicted how meeting him would change my life. We were at a holiday party at Daniel L Rosensweig’s house. I was introduced to Mark as I walked in the door, and we started talking about his vision for Facebook. I had tried The Facebook, as it was first called, but still thought the internet was a largely anonymous place to search for funny pictures. Mark’s belief that people would put their real selves online to connect with other people was so mesmerizing that we stood by that door and talked for the rest of the night. I told Dan later that I got a new life at that party but never got a single drink, so he owed me one.
‘Many months later, after countless – and I mean countless – dinners and conversations with Mark, he offered me this job. It was chaotic at first. I would schedule a meeting with an engineer for nine o’clock only to find that they would not show up. They assumed I meant nine p.m., because who would come to work at nine a.m.? We had some ads, but they were not performing well, and most advertisers I met wanted to take over our homepage like The Incredible Hulk movie had on MySpace. One was so angry when I said no to her homepage idea that she slammed her fist on the table, walked out of the room, and never returned. That first summer, Mark realized that he had never had a chance to travel, so he went away for a month, leaving me and Matt Cohler in charge without a ton of direction and almost no ability to contact him. It seemed crazy – but it was a display of trust I have never forgotten.
‘When I was considering joining Facebook, my late husband, Dave, counseled me not to jump in and immediately try to resolve every substantive issue with Mark, as we would face so many over time. Instead, I should set up the right process with him. So, on the way in, I asked Mark for three things – that we would sit next to each other, that he would meet with me one-on-one every week, and that in those meetings he would give me honest feedback when he thought I messed something up. Mark said yes to all three but added that the feedback would have to be mutual. To this day, he has kept those promises. We still sit together (OK, not through COVID), meet one-on-one every week, and the feedback is immediate and real.
‘Sitting by Mark’s side for these 14 years has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. Mark is a true visionary and a caring leader. He sometimes says that we grew up together, and we have. He was just 23 and I was already 38 when we met, but together we have been through the massive ups and downs of running this company, as well as his marriage to the magnificent Priscilla, the sorrow of their miscarriages and the joy of their childbirths, the sudden loss of Dave, my engagement to Tom, and so much more. In the critical moments of my life, in the highest highs and in the depths of true lows, I have never had to turn to Mark, because he was already there.
‘When I joined Facebook, I had a two-year-old son and a six-month-old daughter. I did not know if this was the right time for a new and demanding role. The messages were everywhere that women – and I – could not be both a leader and a good mother, but I wanted to give it a try. Once I started, I realized that to see my children before they went to sleep, I had to leave the office at 5:30 p.m., which was when work was just getting going for many of my new colleagues. In my previous role at Google, there were enough people and buildings that leaving early wasn’t noticed, but Facebook was a small startup and there was nowhere to hide. More out of necessity than bravery, I found my nerve and walked out early anyway. Then, supported by Mark, I found my voice to admit this publicly and then talk about the challenges women face in the workplace. My hope was to make this a bit easier for others and help more women believe they can and should lead.
‘I am beyond grateful to the thousands of brilliant, dedicated people at Meta with whom I have had the privilege of working over the last 14 years. Every day someone does something that stops me in my tracks and reminds me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such remarkable colleagues. This team is filled with exceptionally talented people who have poured their hearts and minds into building products that have had a profound impact on the world.
‘It’s because of this team – past and present – that more than three billion people use our products to keep in touch and share their experiences. More than 200 million businesses use them to create virtual storefronts, communicate with customers, and grow. Billions of dollars have been raised for causes people believe in.
‘Behind each of these statistics is a story. Friends who would have lost touch but didn’t. Families that stayed in contact despite being separated by oceans. Communities that have rallied together. Entrepreneurial people – especially women and others who have faced obstacles and discrimination – who have turned their ideas into successful businesses.
‘Last week, a friend saw a post about a mutual friend of ours having a baby and told me that she remembers how before Instagram, she would have missed this moment. When the women in Lean In’s global Circles community couldn’t meet in person, they used Facebook to encourage each other and share advice for navigating work and life during the pandemic. At an International Women’s Day lunch, a woman told me that her Facebook birthday fundraiser generated enough money to provide shelter for two women experiencing domestic abuse. Just last month, I heard about how in India, the Self Employed Women’s Association connects over WhatsApp to organize and increase their collective bargaining power. I’ve loved traveling the world (physically and virtually) to meet small business owners and hear their stories – like Zuzanna Sielicka Kalczyńska in Poland, who started a business with her sister selling cuddly stuffed animals that make white noise to sooth crying babies. They began with a single Facebook post in 2014 and have gone on to sell in more than 20 countries and build a workforce mostly made up of moms like them.
‘The debate around social media has changed beyond recognition since those early days. To say it hasn’t always been easy is an understatement. But it should be hard. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects privacy and keeps people safe. Just as I believe wholeheartedly in our mission, our industry, and the overwhelmingly positive power of connecting people, I and the dedicated people of Meta have felt our responsibilities deeply. I know that the extraordinary team at Meta will continue to work tirelessly to rise to these challenges and keep making our company and our community better. I also know that our platforms will continue to be an engine of growth for the businesses around the world that rely on us.
‘When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life. I am not entirely sure what the future will bring – I have learned no one ever is. But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women. And as Tom and I get married this summer, parenting our expanded family of five children. Over the next few months, Mark and I will transition my direct reports and I will leave the company this fall. I still believe as strongly as ever in our mission, and I am honored that I will continue to serve on Meta’s board of directors.
‘I am so immensely proud of everything this team has achieved. The businesses we’ve helped and the business we’ve built. The culture we’ve nurtured together. And I’m especially proud that this is a company where many, many exceptional women and people from diverse backgrounds have risen through our ranks and become leaders – both in our company and in leadership roles elsewhere.
‘Thank you to the colleagues who inspire me every day with their commitment to our mission, to our partners around the world who have enabled us to build a business that serves their businesses, and especially to Mark for giving me this opportunity and being one of the best friends anyone could ever have.’
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