Stefan Mileschin

28 year old Facebook boss mark Zuckerberg is rumoured to be heading into the murky world of political lobbying - co-organised with Harvard roommate Joe Green. It is expected the group will primarily be advocating immigration reform.

The group will, according to the Wall Street Journal's sources, seek $50 million in capital before it lobbies for federal reform on topics including immigration and education. It has reportedly secured millions from LinkedIn top exec Reid Hoffman.

Its first task is tipped to be focusing on making US citizenship easier for immigrants, and it is also expected to be pushing education reform and pursuing science funding.

Bill Gates, the well regarded billionaire and philanthropist, has been busying himself with education reform too - in the guise of privatised services, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which in part lead to the Chicago Teacher's Strike, the biggest strike of its kind in years.

Other figures rumoured to be involved in the group include some who have previously been close to Washington. Rob Jesmer was the former exec director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Joe Lockhart, Facebook's ex communications veep, was a press officer for Bill Clinton, and Jon Lerner, a Republican strategist, are reportedly involved in the unnamed group the WSJ reports.

Zuckerberg has previously donated to Republican causes and has met with Barack Obama.

It is not uncommon for capital-rich business figures to involve themselves in advocacy, politics, or philanthropy with a political bent, as they use their money to allow them louder voices than the general electorate.

http://news.techeye.net/business/zuc...advocacy-group