For years, a wealthy Palo Alto neighborhood watched as families dropped off their children at a Silicon Valley billionaire’s home.
What seemed like a casual playgroup was actually a private school with 40 students, teachers, and a Montessori curriculum.
The school ran without city permits from 2021 through mid-2025, breaking zoning laws. It operated quietly in Crescent Park, where homes cost $5.5 million.
The Paper Trail
Neighbors collected evidence totaling 1,665 pages. WIRED obtained these documents through a public records request, which included complaint reports, legal papers, and emails spanning several years.
Complaints began in February 2019, with additional ones in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
One February 2025 email stated: “It’s notable you’re putting effort toward one billionaire family while not sharing information with neighbors.”
The Compound Expands
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan began buying Palo Alto properties in 2011, paying $7 million for their first home.
Over the course of 14 years, they spent over $110 million on 11 Crescent Park properties, consolidating five into one compound and transforming the neighborhood into a construction zone.
City records show 56 permits for various work, including 7,000 square feet of underground space that neighbors refer to as “bunkers.”
Eight Years of Upheaval
Construction began in 2016 and continued through 2025, bringing construction equipment to residential streets.
Neighbors reported blocked driveways, tire issues from debris, and consistent noise throughout the day.
Zuckerberg’s staff provided noise-canceling headphones, wine, and donuts during periods of increased noise. City Council member Greer Stone told The New York Times: “He’s been using loopholes in our laws.”
The Chicken-Named School
The “Bicken Ben School” was named after the family’s pet chicken. Zuckerberg’s 2021 post mentioned chickens “Toaster” and “Bicken Ben.”
State records show that 9 students were enrolled in 2022, increasing to 14 by 2025. Neighbors reported seeing 15-30 students, while a June 2025 job ad claimed 35-40.
Sara Dunleavy Berge ran the Montessori school.
Local Law Collides With Wealth
California and Palo Alto laws ban private schools in residential areas without a special “conditional use permit” from the city.
This permit requires public hearings and approval from neighbors. Castilleja School, another Palo Alto private school, has operated with such permits since the 1960s.
WIRED found the Zuckerbergs never applied for a permit during the school’s four-year operation, making it illegal.
“No Neighborhood Wants to Be Occupied”
Michael Kieschnick lives surrounded on three sides by properties owned by Zuckerberg. He told The New York Times: “No neighborhood wants to feel overtaken.
That’s what has occurred.” He has owned his home for 30 years and declined Zuckerberg’s purchase offers. Other families moved as Zuckerberg acquired nearby homes.
Neighbors reported that security cameras were directed at their yards and guards were speaking with people on public sidewalks.
The Security State
Neighbors expressed concerns about ongoing surveillance from Zuckerberg’s security system. The family employs approximately 50 workers through their “West 10” family office, including childcare providers, chefs, and security personnel.
Cameras on Zuckerberg properties record neighboring yards. In 2020, architect Peter Baltay was on a public sidewalk when a guard asked him to continue on his way.
Some neighbors said living under these conditions was uncomfortable.
Preferential Treatment
Neighbors say Palo Alto officials treated the Zuckerbergs differently. In 2016, the city rejected his plan to demolish four homes to make way for an estate compound.
Board member Peter Baltay stated that it was not suitable for a residential area. Yet neighbors state Zuckerberg completed the project by obtaining permits incrementally.
Police posted tow-away signs on public streets for Zuckerberg’s private events.
The Investigation Intensifies
By December 2024, complaints reached a breaking point. Planning Director Jonathan Lait informed the Zuckerbergs’ lawyer that the school was operating illegally without permits.
“We believe this needs a conditional use permit,” Lait wrote. The lawyer argued that the classes were an “appropriate residential use” and attempted to convert it to a daycare, which failed.
Six adults worked at the school, including four non-resident teachers.
The City Issues an Ultimatum
In March 2025, Palo Alto officials sent a clear notice: cease the school by June 30, 2025, or face legal action.
WIRED obtained emails indicating the city would issue a cease-and-desist order with potential fines. One neighbor wrote in December 2024:
“Our hope is that code enforcement is consistent for all residents, regardless of wealth. This behavior likely would not be permitted otherwise.”
August Closure Confirmed
State records indicate Bicken Ben School closed in August 2025—six weeks after the city’s deadline. By September, neighbors told WIRED they no longer observed student drop-offs after four years.
City spokesperson Meghan Horrigan-Taylor said the city “believed the school had closed.”
The closure represented a case where local government and neighborhood organizing enforced city requirements on a high-profile resident.
“The School Relocated”
Brian Baker, the spokesperson for Zuckerberg, said the school “didn’t close but relocated” to an undisclosed location.
This raised questions: Where did it move? Is it using a different name? A 2022 job ad mentioned “four campuses” requiring travel, and a June 2025 ad stated that the school operates at “multiple campuses.”
The Palo Alto location closed in August 2025.
Lessons for Elite Education
The situation illustrates how affluent families can establish private schools for their children while navigating local regulations.
Forbes noted public schools operate “by right,” but private schools require special permits and may have enrollment limits—which the Zuckerbergs did not obtain.
West 10 employs 50 staff members to manage childcare, food preparation, and property maintenance. The compound functions in some ways like a business campus in a residential area.
The Unanswered Question
One question remains: Will Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan apply for the permit to legalize their school, or is the project concluded?
Council member Greer Stone is working on laws to address zoning issues. Families whose children attended Bicken Ben are unsure if the “relocated” school continues elsewhere.
The 1,665 pages of complaints highlight that residents prompted changes in the actions of a high-profile individual.