Facebook staff blow-dry boss Mark Zuckerberg’s armpits before public appearances

Details of a strange job reportedly given to Facebook staff before Mark Zuckerberg speaks in public has raised eyebrows.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg is such a bag of nerves before big speeches that his employees reportedly blow-dry his armpits to get rid of his anxiety-induced sweat.

The bizarre anecdote came from new book, Facebook: The Inside Story.

Penned by tech journalist Steven Levy, the book claims members of Facebook’s communications team are roped in to dry out the 35-year-old’s pits before events to make him appear less nervous, The Sun reports.

Zuck is known to sweat profusely in front of large crowds, famously drenching himself during an appearance at the 2010 D8 conference in California.

At one point he was sweating so much he had to take off his hoodie as two journalists grilled the billionaire on Facebook’s privacy rules.

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As to whether a hairdryer is now used to avoid similar gaffes, a Facebook spokesperson said it’s unlikely employed at Zuckerberg’s request.

“I doubt this is true,” they told Business Insider in response to Levy’s assertions.

“If so it would have been at our communications team’s request, but surely anyone who has ever worn a grey T-shirt can relate.”

Mark Zuckerberg has adopted suits into his wardrobe recently as appearances in front of government panels become more and more frequent. Picture: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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On Twitter, users reacted in shock at Levy’s claims.

“The things sycophants will do for their billionaire overlords,” wrote one flabbergasted user.

“If Zuckerberg sweats, that means he’s actually possibly human,” joked another. “Colour me shocked!”

Elsewhere in the book, Zuckerberg is depicted as being “a naive genius and robotic robber baron” according to a review by Bloomberg.

Suits don’t show sweat as much as grey T-shirts, another added benefit. Picture: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP

The New York native is also reportedly “consumed by his public image”.

This obsession is mirrored by chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, who, Levy wrote, is known to scream at underlings.

He depicts Sandberg as manipulative and calculating, reportedly faking nervousness in front of journalists to dodge tricky questions.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission