Robi Maddison Tech 06.10.2022 21:Jun PM EDT

Meta is Investigating Sheryl Sandberg's Use of Company Resources

Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg is Leaving the Tech Giant: Here's What She Has to Say About It

(Photo : Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)

According to Forbes, citing a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Meta is investigating former Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg's use of company resources for personal matters over a period of years.

She was being investigated to the following:

Sandberg's alleged use of the tech giant's resources to assist plan her summer wedding to consultant Tom Bernthal had prompted Meta to initiate an investigation.
She was also being investigated on how Facebook employees allegedly assisted with activities linked to Sandberg's foundation, Lean In, which strives to support women in reaching their goals.
Employees at Meta allegedly assist her in promoting her second book, "Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy," about her husband's death.
As per Engadget, Sandberg is also being investigated for allegedly using Facebook employees to bury a negative story about her former partner, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.

This comes just a week after Sandberg announced her departure from Facebook to dedicate more attention to humanitarian activities.

Use of Company's Resources

Forbes, citing a WSJ report, mentioned that Sandberg and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have previously revealed their use of company resources for personal reasons, and Sandberg credited several Facebook employees in the acknowledgements section of her second book.

WSJ reported that Meta personnel also assisted Sandberg with her book tours, foundation, and family matters. Some insiders told WSJ that the former COO's use of the company's resources for personal duties could result in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) violations.

However, it's unclear what those consequences would be. Sandberg "could be asked to repay the company for employee time spent on her personal work," according to WSJ.

Meta COO Will Leave the Company

As previously reported, Sandberg says she's leaving Meta because the company's executive team has been built up in preparation for her departure, and she wants to focus on philanthropy and women's rights.

"There's no perfect time. It is a job that's been an honor and a privilege, but it's not a job that leaves a lot of time to do much else. And I really wanted to make more room in my life to do philanthropy, to work with my foundation," said Sandberg.

On Facebook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Javier Olivan, the company's chief growth officer, will take over as COO.

Sandberg joined the social media giant in 2008, where she assisted in the company's multibillion-dollar advertising business expansion.

Before joining Facebook, she was Google's vice president of global online sales and operations, and was also the former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers' chief of staff.

Some lauded her as a feminist icon after the publication of her best-selling book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" in 2013. Meanwhile, After her husband died abruptly in 2017 from heart problems, she penned her second book, "Option B," about overcoming adversity.