Sheryl Sandberg, longtime No. 2 exec at Facebook, steps down

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sheryl Sandberg, the No. 2 executive at Facebook owner Meta, who helped turn its business from  startup to digital advertising empire while also taking blame for some of its biggest missteps along the way, is stepping down. Sandberg has served as chief operating officer at the social media giant for 14 years. She joined from Google in 2008, four years before Facebook went public. Meta did not immediately respond to a message for comment. Sandberg has led Facebook — now Meta’s — advertising business and was responsible for nurturing it from its infancy into a more than $100 billion-a-year powerhouse.