.png)
2 months ago
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey and Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta Platforms, Inc. appear to be putting their troubled past behind them.
This reconciliation could herald a new era of innovation in the virtual reality space.
From Acquisition To Acrimony
The story began in 2014 when Facebook acquired Luckey’s Oculus for a staggering $2.2 billion. However, the partnership soured in 2016 when Luckey became embroiled in political controversy over his donation to a pro-Donald Trump group. This led to internal and external criticism, ultimately resulting in Luckey’s departure from Facebook in 2017.
Parallel Paths Of Success
Post-separation, both parties have seen considerable success: Luckey founded Anduril Industries, a defense tech company now valued at $14 billion.
Meanwhile, Meta continued to invest heavily in VR and augmented reality technologies.
Reconnecting After A Tumultuous Split
Eight years after a contentious parting of ways, Luckey made headlines last month by returning to Meta’s headquarters.
The visit, which included testing Meta’s cutting-edge Orion prototype glasses, marks a significant shift in the relationship between the VR innovator and the tech giant.
Following his visit, Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth publicly apologized for past comments about Luckey’s exit.
"I mentioned this in person, but I also wanted to publicly apologize ...
