Zuckerberg’s 2017 security, travel cost Facebook $8.8 million

Facebook spent $8.8 million to cover its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s security and personal travel in 2017, USA Today reported.

The expenses increased by $3 million from 2016 because of Zuckerberg’s 2017 cross-country U.S. tour.

“Because of the high visibility of our company, our compensation & governance committee has authorized an ‘overall security program’ for Mr. Zuckerberg to address safety concerns due to specific threats to his safety arising directly as a result of his position as our founder, Chairman, and CEO,” Facebook wrote in its disclosure.

{mosads}

The company argued that it views these expenditures as necessary and beneficial because of Zuckerberg’s importance to Facebook.

Facebook also spent over $2.6 million to cover the security fees for Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg.

Zuckerberg’s expenses are unlikely to drop in 2018, as he just finished testifying before Congress about Facebook’s privacy policies and the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

He is set to meet with the European Union’s digital chief on Tuesday to discuss similar issues.