Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has purchased Strancally Castle and its 178-hectare (440-acre) estate in County Waterford, Ireland. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
The castle was built in 1830 for John Keily, a former Conservative MP. It was designed on a lavish scale by architects James and George Richard Pain. According to the book The Houses of Ireland, a "brisk walk of four and a half minutes" is needed to go from the dining room to the kitchen.
The price paid in the off-market deal is not known, but the Irish Times, which first reported the sale, estimated a value between €20m (£17m) and €30m. This is approximately 10% of the cost of his 387ft superyacht.
A Meta spokesperson said: "Mark and his family are excited to continue caring for this historic home and look forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters."
The previous owners were Michael Alen-Buckley, co-founder of London-based investment firm RAB Capital, and his wife Giancarla, a scion of the family behind the Rocco Forte Hotels group. They bought the estate and renovated it in the early 2000s. The couple said in a statement: "We leave our home of 25 years fondly and are grateful for the opportunity we have been given to save and restore Strancally castle. We are delighted that Mark and his family intend to build on our stewardship by continuing to invest in maintaining and enhancing the property and grounds as their home in a sustainable manner. We wish them and their family much happiness in this unique and blessed place."
The website of the National Built Heritage Service, an Irish state agency that protects architectural heritage, says: "The construction in sandstone and limestone ashlar augments the dour tone of the composition while providing evidence of high quality stone masonry and craftsmanship."
The Blackwater valley contains other historic estates, including Ballynatray House, which entrepreneur James Dyson bought in 2024. Further north, John Collison, co-founder of technology platform Stripe, bought Abbey Leix, an estate in County Laois, in 2021.