Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg has revealed he is no longer an atheist after years of claiming to have no faith.
Zuckerberg, one of the world's richest men with a net worth of around £40 billion, said he believed religion was "very important". It comes after a year in which Zuckerberg, who was raised Jewish, met the pope and praised Buddhism.
Last week, Zuckerberg posted a message on his own Facebook page wishing followers a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. In response to a comment asking if he was atheist, he said: "No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important."
Zuckerberg previously identified as an atheist, listing the belief on his Facebook page.
The Facebook founder has previously praised the Buddhism of his wife Priscilla Chan, posting a photo of himself praying during a visit to a pagoda in Xi'an.
He also had a high-profile audience with Pope Francis last year, although at the meeting, during which Zuckerberg gave the pope a model of Facebook's solar-powered internet drone, the two mainly discussed bringing connectivity to the developing world.
Zuckerberg and Chan have often discussed their moral values, and have pledged to give away 99 per cent of their wealth to good causes such as advancing medical technology, but it is the first time that the Facebook founder has confirmed his faith.
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