Facebook founder tells Winfrey why he’s friending Newark, NJ, schools with $100M donation

Facebook CEO makes $100M gift to NJ school

CHICAGO — Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced a $100 million donation to Newark public schools.

Zuckerberg told talk show host Oprah Winfrey on Friday that he picked Newark for the gift “because I believe in these guys.”

“These guys” are Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat. They appeared with Zuckerberg on a live episode of the “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

The announcement comes just ahead of the release of “The Social Network.” The movie paints an unflattering portrait of Zuckerberg.

The Newark district has been plagued for years by low test scores, poor graduation rates and crumbling buildings. It was taken over by the state in 1995 after instances of waste and mismanagement.