The surprise appointment of Sir Nick Clegg, former Deputy PM in Cameron’s Coalition Government, as Facebook’s head of global affairs and communications makes sense seen as part of Zuckerburg’s defensive manoeuvres to stave off imposed regulations especially by the EU. Clegg worked as a European Commission bureaucrat, was an MEP and an MP and is well-connected at least on the EU side. A commentator said: “He’s probably respected everywhere across the EU except his own country.” Though he’ll have his work cut out both within and outside the company. He’ll work directly to Sheryl Sandberg.
Born 7 January 1967 in Chalfont St Giles, England, he’s a Sun Capricorn square Mars in Libra, and trine Pluto Uranus and widely sextile Saturn and sextile Neptune in a talented Half Grand Sextile. So tougher and more ambitious than he appears. He does have a syrupy sweet Venus in Aquarius opposition Jupiter in Leo which will be useful for PR though it tends to undercut his gravitas.
His Solar Arc Neptune is conjunct his Sun around now and moving to square his Mars in 2019 which isn’t too decisive or successful. But he’ll push on confidently through 2019 (no doubt with a considerable salary) though running into problems by 2020/2021. FB insiders give him 1-2 years on the job.
He’s not a great mix with Zuckerburg despite having his Sun conjunct MZ’s Jupiter and trine MZ’s Venus Sun, since Clegg’s Neptune is conjunct MZ’s Mars and opposition MZ’s Sun, which will have a suspicious and evasive effect and make MK feel he’s been stalled. Their relationship chart has a friendly composite Sun Venus in a sensible sextile to Saturn; but it also has a volatile, explosive composite Mars Uranus which will be triggered from May 2019 onwards, as their ideas clash. And by 2020 tr Neptune will be undermining their composite Sun in a conjunction.
Clegg’s relationship with Sheryl Sandberg is also combative with a composite Sun Mars; with Mars inconjunct Saturn. That’ll be a scratchy interface though she may not stay around for ever.
His relationship with the Facebook chart looks fairly nailed down and controlling with a composite Sun square Pluto and Pluto widely opposition Saturn. Tensions will rise from April 2019 onwards with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars and there’ll be tussles right through into 2020.
For all his EU connections, I don’t know if he has fully realized what a horrible job this is! Maybe a tr. Jupiter conjunct Neptune happening, because recruitment process for these kind of positions typically takes a couple of months. But, I would really liken this to taking a tobacco industry PR job in the early 1990’s. Or worse, really, because GDPR truly has a potential to bring Facebook down the way MSA couldn’t bring down tobacco industry, because once people start abbandoning platform in large numbers, the business model will collapse quickly.
This is just as career killing as David Cameron accepting Brexit vote, although there is a chance all Clegg wants to achieve here is to cash out and take an early retirement (not having exact TOB this seems unlikely).