A former insider’s explosive account about Meta sold 60,000 copies in its debut week, landing it in the top 10 on Amazon.com’s best-seller list. The book, “Careless People” by Sarah Wynn-Williams, published by Flatiron Books, a Macmillan imprint, alleges disturbing behavior by Mark Zuckerberg, Joel Kaplan, and other executives. The book also details Zuckerberg’s alleged attempts to curry favor with Chinese officials.
Meta has sought to discredit the book, claiming that Wynn-Williams violated a severance agreement and that the book contains inaccuracies. Despite this, the first-week sales of “Careless People” across all formats have been strong, with the book reaching No. 3 on Amazon.
In response to Meta’s complaint, an emergency arbitrator has put restrictions on Wynn-Williams in promoting the book and making further negative claims about Meta. However, Flatiron retains the right to publish and promote the book.
Meta has lauded the arbitrator’s decision, stating that the book is false and defamatory. Flatiron, on the other hand, expressed dismay at Meta’s attempt to silence the author using a non-disparagement clause from a severance agreement. The publisher emphasized that the book underwent rigorous editing and vetting processes and affirmed their commitment to supporting and promoting important works like “Careless People.”
Although Meta has questioned media outlets about their coverage plans, some critics have received persistent messages from the company. Despite the controversy, the book has garnered significant attention and sales in its first week.
