The New York Times has a profile today of Sheryl Sandberg, the second-in-command at Facebook, whose personal fortune could reach $1.6 billion should all go as planned with the social networking behemoth's initial public offering. Sandberg is described as having a "warm, disarming tone" that renders those who come into contact with her, especially women, as "a bit star-struck." She's also portrayed at being a tireless cheerleader for women in the workplace, but one who often confronts them for not taking bolder steps in furthering their own professional advancement. 

Of course, Sandberg would be a hard act to follow in that department, having worked as chief of staff for Lawrence H. Summers, who was then the Treasury secretary, before jumping to the tech sector -- first landing at Google, and then, in 2008, as COO at Facebook. The move was mutually beneficial. When she arrived, the company had "70 million users and no business model." She quickly guided the company to $1 billion in profits on $3.7 billion in revenue. And Sandberg in turn is about to be remunerated for her efforts beyond anyone's wildest dreams: According to Facebook's IPO filing on Wednesday, Sandberg made "nearly $31 million last year" and owns "1.9 million shares in the company and an additional 39 million in restricted stock options." If the company's valuation upon going public reaches $100 billion, as many analysts predict, her net worth will be $1.6 billion.

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Seth Abramovitch