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Oculus VR Founder Palmer Luckey Leaves Facebook

Friday, March 31, will be Luckey's last day at the company.

David Craddock

March 30, 2017 1:38 PM

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Palmer Luckey, who founded Oculus VR and came up with early VR prototypes that evolved into the Oculus Rift, will depart Facebook this week. Luckey's final day at the company will be tomorrow, Friday, March 31 (via UploadVR).

"Palmer will be dearly missed," Facebook representatives wrote in a statement. "Palmer’s legacy extends far beyond Oculus. His inventive spirit helped kickstart the modern VR revolution and helped build an industry. We’re thankful for everything he did for Oculus and VR, and we wish him all the best."

Luckey sold Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion just over three years ago on March 25, 2014. Facebook embraced the Rift as a gaming platform, and envisioned usage far beyond its original purpose.

"After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said following the acquisition. "Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face—just by putting on goggles in your home."

Luckey's departure should come as no surprise to enthusiasts. Last fall, reporters from The Daily Beast found links between the Oculus founder and Nimble America, a far-right political group. Nimble America gained infamy for generating and spreading provocative memes and other content designed to weaken the campaign of 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Facebook representatives declined to comment on Upload VR's inquiry as to whether Luckey's departure was voluntary.

Shacknews CEO Asif Khan caught up with Palmer at last year's Oculus Connect 3, but the VR magnate danced around answering questions regarding the elephant in the room.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.