Zuckerberg buys Gothic castle in Ireland: spokesman

Tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have bought an Irish castle and are "excited" about the historic home, a spokesman for the businessman said in a statement Thursday.

Meta's founder and CEO bought the three-storey Gothic-style Strancally Castle from the Alen-Buckley family in recent weeks.

"Mark and his family are excited to continue caring for this historic home and look forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters," the spokesman said.

Built in 1827 for an English politician, the property is a three-storey, cut-stone Gothic Revival house in County Waterford, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of Dublin.

The price paid by Zuckerberg in the off-market deal is not known.

The property has been extensively renovated over the past 20 years by its previous owners.

Michael Alen-Buckley is a co-founder of London-based private investment firm RAB Capital.

Meta employs about 1,500 people in Ireland, with Dublin home to its international headquarters.

Its Irish operations also include a virtual and augmented reality business in Cork and a data center outside Dublin.

Zuckerberg and his family will continue to live in the United States and use the Irish property when conducting Meta business in Ireland.

(AFP)