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Mark Zuckerberg celebrates new baby with plan to donate Facebook shares

The Facebook CEO and his wife announced in an open letter to their newborn daughter that they will donate 99% of their Facebook shares to charities.

Mark Zuckerberg announced the birth of his daughter Tuesday, along with his commitment to donating 99% of his Facebook shares to charity over his lifetime.

Currently, the Facebook CEO’s shares total about $45 billion.

In a public letter written to their new daughter, Max, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan say they want to make the world a better place for her and her generation.

RELATED: Mark Zuckerberg plans two-month paternity leave

To do this, they say they will work “to advance human potential and promote equality” around the world through their Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which they launched in 2009.

“Our initial areas of focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities,” they wrote. “We will give 99% of our Facebook shares — currently about $45 billion — during our lives to advance this mission.”

The couple says more details will follow in the coming months after both return to work after their maternity and paternity leaves.

Zuckerberg said he will take two months of paternity leave, but Chan has not announced how long her maternity leave will be. Facebook recently announced that it expanded its paid parental leave for all employees to four months.

The couple has been open about Chan’s pregnancy from the start, writing a public letter about Chan’s three miscarriages before successfully getting pregnant. They hopped to encourage other couples who have had miscarriages to share their experiences and not give up hope.