Facebook founder and 13th-richest person in the world, Mark Zuckerberg, has announced he will give 99 per cent of his Facebook shares to charity.

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced the decision on Facebook as they introduced their newborn Max to the world.

In a letter written to Max, the couple said, “Like all parents, we want you to grow up in a world better than ours today.”

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“We believe all lives have equal value, and that includes the many more people who will live in future generations than live today.

“Our initial areas of focus will be personalised learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.

“We will give 99 per cent of our Facebook shares – currently about $45 billion – during our lives to advance this mission.

“We know this is a small contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working on these issues. But we want to do what we can, working alongside many others.

“We’ll share more details in the coming months once we settle into our new family rhythm and return from our maternity and paternity leaves.

“We understand you’ll have many questions about why and how we’re doing this.”