Actually, Mark Zuckerberg didn't burn $80 billion on the metaverse

Mark Zuckerberg's vision of a metaverse, which he championed nearly five years ago, has faced significant scrutiny as reports indicate that Meta has incurred losses exceeding $80 billion on this ambitious project. Initially portrayed as a future where users would immerse themselves in virtual reality, the reality has turned out to be quite different, with Meta's Reality Labs unit suffering losses of more than $19 billion in just 2025. Despite the extensive financial setbacks, Reality Labs is not shutting down. This division is responsible for more than just Horizon Worlds, the virtual space that has failed to attract a large audience. It also develops various hardware products, including the Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have seen some success in the market. Looking ahead, Meta plans to introduce another pair of glasses aimed at enhancing home movie streaming, a product that has piqued interest in the tech community. However, the broader appeal of virtual reality outside the gaming sector remains questionable. The competition among Meta, Apple, and other tech giants to produce lightweight glasses continues, but their potential to evolve from novelty items into everyday essentials is uncertain. Thus, Reality Labs is expected to continue its trend of accumulating significant financial losses in the foreseeable future. The speculation about Meta's disinterest in the metaverse is a more complex issue. The company maintains that its metaverse ambitions do not exclusively hinge on VR headsets. Instead, they envision a future where users can engage with metaverse-like experiences through smartphones and potentially new eyewear. Meta's Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has emphasized this perspective in recent communications. Interestingly, Zuckerberg's enthusiasm for the metaverse seems to have waned since 2021, a time when he was vocal about the transformative potential of virtual spaces. Nowadays, his focus has shifted towards artificial intelligence, with substantial investments in AI talent and infrastructure, suggesting a potential pivot in Meta's strategic direction. This shift could indicate a deeper longing for a platform that Zuckerberg can control, reducing reliance on third-party companies like Google and Apple. In an AI-driven future, the role of traditional smartphones may diminish, paving the way for new devices and interfaces that align with Zuckerberg's vision of autonomy in the tech landscape. While the evolution of both the metaverse and AI presents fresh opportunities, the underlying motivation remains clear: Zuckerberg's quest for a platform he can claim as his own.