For those who came in late, the Federal Trade Commission wants $30 billion in penalties over Meta’s takeover of Instagram and WhatsApp, alleging the moves were designed to “neutralise” threats to Facebook’s core business.

 Zuckerberg, seemingly confident he could cut a deal, offered just $450 million—a figure FTC officials reportedly laughed off the call. 

Former FTC Chair Lina Khan told the Wall Street Journal: “Mark bought his way out of competing, so I’m not surprised that he thinks he can buy his way out of law enforcement, too. His proposed remedy, like his market strategy, is: ‘let my illegal monopoly keep monopolising.’” 

The Journal claims Zuckerberg reached out to the new FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson in March with his rock-bottom offer. Sources say he believed there was a good chance President Donald Trump would help him out, partly based on past donations and lobbying work. 

Zuckerberg had reportedly been leaning on links with the Trump camp, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Meta had previously spent $1 million on Trump’s inauguration and settled a $25 million lawsuit—all part of what seemed like a long-term charm offensive. 

Initially, Trump seemed willing to explore a deal. But that effort tanked after advisers in his orbit warned him against taking Zuckerberg’s side, casting doubt on the Meta boss’s recent political rebranding. 

"For Zuckerberg, who has spent tens of millions in recent years aiming to rebuild his relationship with Trump, the failure to reach a deal pretrial suggests he isn’t getting much return on his investment," the Journal wrote. 

So far, all that glad-handing and headline chasing has bought him precisely nothing — except a court date.