• um ... Facebook, Friday, September 24, 2010 12:25 PM

This week's news that Mark Zuckerberg would donate up to $100 million to Newark city schools left skeptics wondering what the Facebook founder was up to. Is Zuck worried that the forthcoming Facebook movie will cement some negative perceptions about him and his brand? Did word that his fortune is now estimated to be $6.9 billion send him over the edge? Did Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis calling Zuck "an amoral, Asperger's-like entrepreneur" earlier this year leave a mark? Not at all, says Zuckerberg.

Quite simply, "Education has always been important to me and my family," he writes in a Friday blog post. "Growing up, my parents emphasized the importance of learning and academic success ... I feel very fortunate for the opportunities I've been given because of my education, including the chance to work with talented people and build a great company at such a young age." Adds Zuck: "Rather than waiting until later in life to focus on giving back, I've spent a lot of the last year researching and looking for the most impactful ways to improve education starting in America."

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