Mark Zuckerberg wants to help eradicate every disease by the end of this century

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Insulation from reality: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has a stunning new plan to defeat Islamic fanatics.

He founded one of the world’s biggest websites and became a billionaire at 23, but Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitions stretch far beyond that.                                                                                                      
                    The Facebook founder has said he wants to use his extraordinary wealth to help eradicate all diseases by the end of this century.

Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, worth almost $50bn, plan to give away 99pc of their fortune to philanthropic efforts over their lifetime, an ambition that mirrors the efforts of Bill Gates, the world’s richest man.

In a letter to Facebook shareholders on Wednesday night, Zuckerberg said that one of his goals was to help cure all diseases.

“While helping to connect the world will always be the most important thing I do, there are more global challenges that I feel a responsibility to help solve - like helping to cure all diseases by the end of this century, upgrading our education system so it’s personalized for each student, and protecting our environment from climate change,” he said.

“That’s why Priscilla and I created the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and committed to give 99 percent of our Facebook shares during our lives to advance human potential and promote equality.”

Zuckerberg and Chan announced that they would give away their fortune earlier this year when their first child Max was born.

As well as medical research they plan to help improve education and fund clean energy.

The Facebook founder, 31, made the announcement as Facebook said it would restructure its shares so that Zuckerberg could sell much of his stake without relinquishing his control of the company.