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Family Sues Mark Zuckerberg for Offering Just $7,500 After Worker’s Death

The family alleges the death of Rodney Medeiros could have been avoided by one simple fix.

Despite a net worth of $62.8 billion, the tragic and allegedly negligible death of a worker at a Hawaiian property owned by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan resulted in a measly $7,500 payout to the man’s family, according to a lawsuit. Rodney Medeiros, 70, died on Aug. 4, 2019, after suffering a heart attack at the property known as Koolau Ranch. His family is suing Zuckerberg’s company, Pilaa Land LLC, alleging negligence and wrongful death, according to Hawaii News Now. The lawsuit says Medeiros was hired as a part-time security guard posted at ​​Pilaa beach, which rests at the bottom of a steep hill. His daughter Ziba said he would be driven down to his post at the start and end of shifts but heavy rains made the path inaccessible to vehicles on Aug. 4 so he had to walk up the hill himself. A guard later found him leaning against a tree clinging to his chest and he died shortly after in a hospital. Attorneys representing the family claim a simple $1,000 upgrade of the tires on the ranch’s four-wheelers would have allowed them to operate in the heavy rain. They say a security manager for the Zuckerbergs approached the family a week after his death and said the couple were “sorry” for the death and offered them an “open” amount of money. While Ziba did not offer an amount, days later a check arrived for $7,500. “[I]t’s $7,500 for our father’s life. Is this supposed to make it OK?” she said.

Zuckerberg family spokesperson Ben LaBolt said the money was a contribution “given by Mark and Priscilla” that was supposed “to help with burial and funeral expenses.” In a statement to The Daily Beast, LaBolt said Medeiros was an employee of a contracted security company. He said ranch personnel immediately called 911 and sent on-site medics, who took a “conscious and communicative” Medeiros to an ambulance. “A security manager, Hank Barriga, went to the hospital to meet Mr. Medeiros as soon as he heard about the incident. All vehicles at Koolau Ranch are professionally maintained on an ongoing basis. Additionally, there is a training program all drivers must undergo in order to operate vehicles at the ranch,” he said.