A screenshot of a Bloomberg interview with Mark Zuckerberg in Lake Tahoe.

Mark Zuckerberg spends a lot of time in Lake Tahoe. So much time that a bear’s “grrr” was among the first words Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, taught their 1-year-old. 

This is the kind of endearing story that any new parent would share with their close friends. I’m a new parent, too, and my son recently saw his first bear in Lake Tahoe. I’ve shared this with any friend who wanted to listen. But Zuckerberg isn’t telling this story in a private conversation. It’s the opening anecdote of a 10-minute video by Bloomberg, where a journalist visits Zuckerberg at his Lake Tahoe “retreat” (it’s actually a massive, lakefront compound) to talk about “life, history and being human.” 

The video contrasts Zuckerberg’s ambition and futuristic vision for humanity with a glimpse of his life outside of his Silicon Valley office. Lake Tahoe is a starring character in the video — and I couldn’t help but think this was intentional. A sunny day in Lake Tahoe is the prop that softens up Zuckerberg’s image. 

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The cloudless day, the clear water, the sunwashed green of the pine trees. It’s the kind of scene that might be used to convey someone as down-to-earth,........

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