- Palmer Luckey said his firing from Facebook changed his approach to business relationships.
- Luckey was ousted after donating to a pro-Donald Trump group, affecting his reputation.
- He went on to found Anduril Industries, a $14 billion defense startup.
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey said his frosty departure from Facebook years ago changed the way he approaches business deals.
The billionaire was ousted from the tech company, which bought Oculus in 2014, in 2016 after a report that he'd donated to a pro-Donald Trump group. Luckey went on to become the founder and face of Anduril Industries, a tech defense startup reportedly worth $14 billion, but he told Fortune that the dramatic firing changed how he approaches business.
It's still on his mind almost a decade later. Fortune reported that Luckey now asks himself specific questions when it comes to dealing with new people.
"What is the worst situation I could end up in with this person or this company? If this goes south, what is the worst thing that could happen to me?"
He said he often assumes a "person is gonna try to f–k me" when going into conversations. Luckey, who is worth $2.4 billion, according to Forbes, issued an apology when his Trump donations were first reported but has since become vocal about his support of the president-elect.
Facebook, now Meta, has maintained that his firing wasn't related to politics, but Luckey has argued against its assertion in the past. He told Fortune that he regrets apologizing. Years after Luckey left the company, former Facebook and Oculus exec John Carmack expressed his own regret for not coming to his defense in the "witch hunt."
Now, as his defense company supplies weapons for the Russia-Ukraine war, he said he's working on his reputation in the business world.
"I cannot accomplish anything of significance if I don't care what people think of me," Luckey said to Fortune.
He added, "And that is what I'm most terrified of at this point."