• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO

2

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

3

Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates

1

'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO

2

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

3

Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Meta

Meta reportedly fires staffer on $400K a year for spending $25 meal credits on toothpaste and tea

Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 17, 2024, 7:00 AM ET
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has reportedly cracked down on staffers who were abusing a meal stipend plan.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images

Meta has reportedly fired a handful of staffers who have been abusing the company’s $25 meal stipend, spending the money on nonfood items or having meals delivered to their homes.

According to posts on the tech-professional social media site Blind, the firings took place last week, with staff being discharged from their posts in the Los Angeles office.

Separately, Meta has begun restructuring teams more widely in its WhatsApp, Instagram, and Reality Labs divisions.

Writing on Blind, one Meta staffer outlined that employees are given a $25 Grubhub credit if they work past 6 p.m. in offices that don’t have cafeterias on site.

A post seen by Fortune on the Blind platform alleges the disgraced staffers were ordering meals when they weren’t even in the office; were giving their credits to other members of staff; or were using the credits to buy groceries and other household essentials.

Between 20 and 30 staff members have reportedly been laid off.

Meta is hardly shy of cash to splash—but that doesn’t mean Mark Zuckerberg is allowing the company to get soft.

Meta is currently valued at nearly $1.5 trillion, having reported Q2 2024 earnings of $39.07 billion in July—an increase of 22% year over year.

But the man at the helm, worth $204 billion himself, pushed for a “year of efficiency” in 2023 and announced it would lay off 10,000 staffers and freeze hiring for 5,000 more.

And it seems Meta isn’t afraid to let go of even some of its most highly paid employees.

A further post on Blind, reported by the Financial Times, was written by an employee who claims to have been paid $400,000 a year by the company.

The individual said they worked “nights and weekends” for the Big Tech giant, and had spent their $25 credit on items like toothpaste and tea from pharmacy Rite Aid.

The person said if their partner was cooking or they were eating out with friends, the money would be spent on other items, as the employee felt they “ought not to waste” the perk.

In the post, the employee claimed they had admitted their error to human resources but had later been fired, adding: “It was almost surreal.”

Meta did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment seeking confirmation or clarification on the issue.

More Meta layoffs

The handful of people laid off over meal expenses won’t be the only ones leaving Meta.

Separately, Meta has confirmed restructuring in other teams.

The tech giant told the Financial Times: “Today, a few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy.

“This includes moving some teams to different locations, and moving some employees to different roles. In situations like this when a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other opportunities for impacted employees.”

The market has widely welcomed Zuckerberg’s moves, which have improved efficiency and increased the focus on artificial intelligence.

Meta’s share price is up 67% for the year to date, and up 78% over the past 12 months to $577.

Zuckerberg isn’t alone in making some unpopular staffing decisions in order to maintain a Big Tech behemoth dynamic.

In January, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai told staff in an internal memo that slashing roles was part of a wider decision to invest further into emerging technologies like AI.

“The reality is that to create the capacity for this investment, we have to make tough choices,” he wrote.

For some teams, that entailed eliminating jobs, which Pichai described as “removing layers to simplify execution and drive velocity.”

About the Author
Eleanor Pringle
By Eleanor PringleSenior Reporter, Economics and Markets
LinkedIn icon

Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance. Eleanor previously worked as a business correspondent and news editor in regional news in the U.K. She completed her journalism training with the Press Association after earning a degree from the University of East Anglia.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Best Workplaces in New York
Best Small and Medium Workplaces in New York
By FortuneJune 9, 2026
39 minutes ago
Best Workplaces in New York
Best Large Workplaces in New York
By FortuneJune 9, 2026
39 minutes ago
noah
SuccessMedia
This CEO keeps going viral for thirst-trapping journalists with $200,000 jobs to be head of content. Yes, he’s trying to prove a point
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
39 minutes ago
Boris Cherny, head of Claude Code at Anthropic and Fortune's AI Editor Jeremy Kahn on June 8, 2026 at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen.
NewslettersCFO Daily
The man behind Claude Code says you’re comparing AI costs to the wrong thing
By Sheryl EstradaJune 9, 2026
1 hour ago
The Big Story: SpaceX IPO means more to the Gulf than you might expect
NewslettersFortune Gulf Brief
The Big Story: SpaceX IPO means more to the Gulf than you might expect
By Melissa HancockJune 9, 2026
1 hour ago
‘We expect it to leak’: OpenAI is frontrunning the narrative around its $1 trillion IPO
AIMarkets
‘We expect it to leak’: OpenAI is frontrunning the narrative around its $1 trillion IPO
By Jim EdwardsJune 9, 2026
1 hour ago

Most Popular

'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
Economy
'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
By Jim EdwardsJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
15 hours ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
22 hours ago
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.