Check Substantiates NY Man's Claim to 84% of Facebook

A New York man produced a cashed $3,000 check to support his claim that he is contractually entitled to ownership of 84% of Facebook Inc.

The 2003 check was deposited by Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg on the day Paul Ceglia claims the two men signed a contract, which, Ceglia claims in his court filing, entitles him to control of the social networking site.

Ceglia alleges in his June 30 lawsuit that he and Zuckerberg signed a “work for hire” contract when Zuckerberg was an 18-year-old Harvard freshman. The agreement provided for a $1,000 investment by Ceglia for a 50% stake in a projected dubbed “The Face Book.” The contract also gave Ceglia another 34% for delays in the launching of the site, Ceglia’s pleadings claim.

Zuckerberg has conceded that he did perform coding work for Ceglia but has denied signing away control of the Palo Alto, California-based Facebook.

The check to “Mark Zuckerburg” is dated April 25, 2003. The contract alleged by Ceglia was signed 3 days later in a Boston hotel room. The check was endorsed by Zuckerberg for deposit into a Fleet Bank account. The time stamp shows it was deposited on the day Ceglia claims the contract was signed.

The check amounts to compelling support for Ceglia’s claim that he is entitled to an ownership stake in Facebook.