Mark Zuckerberg's private jet made 28 trips in just 2 months, emitting 15 times more carbon than the average American does in a year, report says

• The Meta CEO's private plane made 28 trips in less than two months, flight data shows.
• Those flights produced around 253 tonnes of carbon emissions, one analysis shows.

In just two months, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg's private jet has emitted 15 times more carbon than the average American produces in a year.

In 28 trips between August 20 and October 15, Zuckerberg's plane released more than 253 tons of carbon, data compiled by Fox News showed.

By comparison, the average American has an annual carbon footprint of 16 tons, according to environmental non-profit The Nature Conservancy.

The Gulfstream G650 jet – which retails for $65 million – burned over $150,000 of jet fuel in its numerous trips across the United States over the two-month period.

While some journeys were cross-country, others were much shorter, like a three minutes, 18-mile journey between two Arizona airstrips on October 15.

—Zucc Jet (@ZuccJet) October 15, 2022

The data was compiled using flight tracking software ADS-B Exchange by Jack Sweeney, who runs a number of Twitter accounts dedicated to tracking the movements of the private jets of billionaires.

Sweeney previously declined $5,000 from Elon Musk to stop tracking his private jet.

When Sweeney first launched the ZuccJet account, he told Bloomberg: "I find it interesting that he tracks us on Facebook, so it's fun that this kid is tracking him back."

Meta has previously explained that the billionaire's security program requires him to use private aircraft for travel. The Financial Times reported that the company spent $1.6 million on Zuckerberg's flights in 2021.

Last year, Facebook stepped up efforts to combat climate change misinformation with its Climate Science Information Center. "Climate change is one of the most urgent issues impacting our world today, and Meta is committed to helping tackle this global challenge," the company said.

Zuckerberg has also argued that the metaverse will be a way to reduce carbon emissions, describing it as "better for society and for the planet overall," in an interview with The Information. In February, his philanthropic organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, invested $44 million in climate technology.

Tracking the rich and famous and the movements of their private jets has become something of a phenomenon on social media, with Bernard Arnault, the world's second richest person saying last week that he had sold his private jet after people began tracking it online. Musician Taylor Swift has also drawn criticism for her frequent use of private jet travel.