It was an even better move on Zuckerberg’s part, as he had struggled to find a copacetic business partner for his hot startup. The stench of persistent operational chaos was growing around the company, even as it had been valued at an unheard of $15 billion after a $240 million investment from Microsoft in 2007. Bill Gates had become a mentor to the young entrepreneur, but it was Sandberg who would prove to be Zuckerberg’s most important ally over the next decade.
