LinkedIn has become an indispensable tool for executives and business leaders to build their professional brand, network, attract talent, and share insights. With over 800 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. Most CEOs and business leaders today have a presence on LinkedIn to leverage its many benefits. However, some well-known CEOs and executives still do not have a LinkedIn profile for various reasons. In this article, we will explore some famous business leaders and CEOs who are not on LinkedIn and discuss the possible reasons behind their absence.
Why do CEOs use LinkedIn?
Here are some of the key reasons why most CEOs and business leaders use LinkedIn:
- Build a professional brand – A LinkedIn profile allows executives to establish their credentials, share their background and expertise, and build their personal brand.
- Network with peers – CEOs can connect with other industry leaders and decision-makers via LinkedIn to build relationships and expand their network.
- Recruit talent – LinkedIn is a crucial platform for companies to promote their employer brand and attract top talent by engaging with prospective candidates.
- Share insights – Through long-form posts, executives can establish thought leadership and share their vision, ideas, and insights with their network.
- Promote their company – CEOs often promote their company’s products, services, culture, values, and job openings via their LinkedIn profile.
- Stay informed – Following relevant companies, groups, and influencers allows executives to keep up-to-date with the latest business trends and news.
Given these benefits, LinkedIn has become an indispensable tool for modern CEOs and leaders to leverage. According to LinkedIn’s 2022 Global Talent Trends report, 94% of talent professionals use LinkedIn to recruit candidates. This makes it crucial for CEOs to have a presence on the platform to attract talent.
Why some CEOs are not on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn adoption is high among executives and business leaders today, some well-known CEOs and founders are still noticeably absent from the platform. Here are some potential reasons why certain CEOs shy away from LinkedIn:
Low public profile
Some founders and executives prefer to keep a low public profile. Figures like Oracle’s Larry Ellison and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz avoid social media limelight. They let their ventures speak for themselves and prefer less public engagement.
Company policy
Certain companies discourage their CEO and top management from having public social media profiles to prevent PR risks. Apple previously had such policies under Steve Jobs and Tim Cook.
Concerns about distraction and productivity
For leaders involved in running complex organizations, LinkedIn engagement may feel like an unnecessary distraction and time sink. They’d rather devote their time to internal leadership and management.
No perceived benefits
Many established business veterans gained their networks and credentials before social media became popular. They may not see the value-add of being on LinkedIn at this stage of their career.
Company already has strong brand presence
If the company itself is active on LinkedIn and promotes its employer brand, the CEO may not feel their personal presence is needed. The company’s LinkedIn presence sufficiently caters to its networking and recruiting needs.
Prefer old-school networking
Some traditionalists may still prefer in-person events, conferences, and real-world connections for networking over social media tools. They rely on tried-and-tested analog networking.
Cybersecurity and privacy concerns
Maintaining a social media presence inevitably means more exposure of personal data. For those highly concerned about their privacy, limiting their online footprint is preferable.
Well-known CEOs not on LinkedIn
Here are some notable business leaders and CEOs of large companies that do not have a personal LinkedIn presence:
Larry Ellison
As founder and chairman of Oracle, one of the largest tech companies, Ellison is among the richest persons in the world. But he maintains a relatively low public profile and does not engage actively on social media platforms like LinkedIn. This aligns with his broader approach of letting Oracle’s products speak for themselves.
Jack Ma
The Chinese billionaire businessman and co-founder of Alibaba, one of the biggest tech firms in China, has no verified social media presence. Ma maintains an extremely low online profile across all social media platforms, including LinkedIn. This aligns with Alibaba’s broader policy of executives avoiding public profiles.
Mukesh Ambani
The Indian tycoon and chairman of Reliance Industries has no presence on LinkedIn. As India’s richest man, Ambani is known to be a private person who grants few media interviews and makes limited public appearances.
Roman Abramovich
The Russian oligarch and owner of Chelsea F.C has no verified social media profiles across any major platforms. As one of the most private billionaires, Abramovich shuns the public spotlight and remains an elusive figure outside of business circles.
Michael Bloomberg
The billionaire businessman, founder of Bloomberg L.P., and former New York City mayor does not have a LinkedIn presence. Bloomberg has not engaged actively on social media historically, though he maintains a Twitter account.
Robert Mercer
The American billionaire hedge fund manager and conservative political donor keeps an extremely low public and social media profile. Mercer does not have any known social media presence. He is known to be an intensely private figure.
Thomas and Raymond Kwok
The billionaire Kwok brothers who run Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s largest property developer, do not have individual LinkedIn profiles. They keep a very low public and social media presence, letting the company do most of the public engagements.
Should CEOs without LinkedIn profiles join the platform?
While some CEOs and leaders have valid reasons to shun LinkedIn, maintaining some presence on the world’s largest professional network has become increasingly important for business executives today. Even leaders who prefer minimal public engagement can benefit from having a profile.
Here are some factors CEOs without a LinkedIn should consider:
- Personal branding – A LinkedIn profile establishes a leader’s credentials and vision.
- Recruiting top talent – Active presence boosts employer brand appeal for talent.
- Thought leadership – Long-form posts allow sharing insights with millions of professionals.
- New opportunities -widens the network and exposure to new ventures.
- Peer engagement – Connect with other leaders in the industry.
Maintaining an active social media presence is not without risks. But for most business leaders today, the pros of establishing their personal brand and voice on LinkedIn outweigh the cons. As the ‘digital rolodex’ of the professional world, LinkedIn is hard to ignore. Even an occasional post with insights can humanize CEOs and showcase vision. With judicious use focused on adding value, LinkedIn offers immense opportunities.
Key takeaways
Here are the key takeaways from this article:
- LinkedIn provides unmatched access to professional networking, branding, recruiting, and thought leadership sharing for executives.
- However, some famous CEOs like Larry Ellison, Jack Ma, and Mukesh Ambani remain absent from LinkedIn due to various factors.
- Low public profile preference, privacy concerns, no perceived value-add, and reliance on company presence are some reasons behind this.
- But maintaining a personal LinkedIn profile is increasingly important for business leaders today to boost their brand and opportunities.
- With focused, value-adding engagement, most executives can benefit from establishing a presence on LinkedIn.
Summary
LinkedIn has firmly established itself as the premier networking and engagement platform for CEOs and professionals today. While the personal preferences and styles of some famous business leaders keep them away from LinkedIn, most executives can gain value from thoughtful participation. Avoiding reputation risks and adding value should be the goal for CEOs on LinkedIn. With the platform’s unparalleled reach, most leaders can benefit from strategically investing some time in building their LinkedIn brand.
