Sure, but in the grand scheme of things Facebook, whose market cap currently sits at 526 billion dollars, the correspondingly inconsequential sum of something-s

Sure, but in the grand scheme of things Facebook, whose market cap currently sits at 526 billion dollars, the correspondingly inconsequential sum of something-something-millions of dollars is worth the potential benefit. In exchange for their patronage, employers to the world's technical stars get to use their name in recruitment and other types of marketing, and they're well-positioned to profit from the star's next great achievement, if indeed one ever occurs. This is very similar to the benefit to a record label or a movie studio in signing a deal with the current one-hit wonder or starlet of the hour. As in any employment transaction, there can be no true guarantees. None of us can promise that we'll be here tomorrow. But the value of investments in strong personal brands has proven profitable enough over the last several decades that many companies are eager and willing to make them. Entire industries are built around them. I don't think it's going to stop any time soon. cf. the Lindy Effect [0] There is surely some limit to Facebook's tolerance of a single man's foibles, regardless of star power. I would bet my bottom dollar that "blogged off-Facebook" is nowhere near it. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect