Mark Zuckerberg Reveals Story Behind Being Mistaken for Kaonashi Covered in Sunscreen

Last summer, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was seen surfing in Hawaii with an excessive amount of sunscreen on his face, reminiscent of the spirit No-Face from the Japanese animation "Spirited Away," sparking numerous internet memes.
[Photo by Twitter]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Last summer, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, was spotted surfing in Hawaii with an excessively thick layer of sunscreen on his face. His appearance reminded many of No-Face, a spirit character from the Japanese animation "Spirited Away," which subsequently sparked numerous internet memes.

The photo of Zuckerberg’s face, whitened by the thick sunscreen, was also compared to the mask worn by the killer Michael Myers in the movie "Halloween," and some people recalled a scene featuring the late Robin Williams in the film "Mrs. Doubtfire."

At the time, netizens speculated about Zuckerberg’s behavior, with comments such as "Is he shedding his skin like a reptile?" and "Could Zuckerberg actually be No-Face?" Many were curious about why he acted that way.

On the 26th, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri are seen having a conversation during a 'Live Chat'.
[Photo by Instagram]

On the 26th (local time), Mark Zuckerberg finally shared the backstory. He held a live chat with Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and explained why he had applied so much sunscreen back then.

He said, "I was surfing in Hawaii and saw paparazzi," and thought to himself that he hoped they wouldn’t recognize him, so he came up with the idea of slathering sunscreen all over his face. However, he admitted, "That backfired." His attempt to avoid the paparazzi’s cameras actually attracted even more attention.

He joked, "I tried to disguise myself coolly, which is very ironic," and added, "I’m glad people online are having fun with my funny photos."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.