House speaker DeLeo to Facebook: Come home

BOSTON (WHDH) -- Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo has a message for former Harvard undergrad and billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg: Come home.

Facebook started at Harvard University -- in Zuckerberg’s dorm room. That’s why DeLeo thinks it makes sense for the company to return to the Bay State.

“It bothers me in the sense that [Zuckerberg] should be here in Massachusetts,” said DeLeo.

Facebook’s headquarters is in California.

“This gentleman started here and left here...That’s always been in my craw that he started here and then left here,” said DeLeo.

DeLeo published an open letter on the Menlo Park Patch website trying to entice Zuckerberg to come home -- Facebook is currently located in Menlo Park. The letter touts Massachusetts and tells Zuckerberg what he’s missed since leaving for California in 2004.

“Our unemployment rate is almost two points below the national average, so a lot of good things going on here and I want to see Zuckerberg be part of it,” said DeLeo.

Students and staff said getting Zuckerberg to move out of California is a long shot.

“I think Silicon Valley is the center of things for tech startups, so I don’t think there’s a big chance Mark Zuckerberg is going to move the company out here,” said Rebecca Goldstein, a Harvard student.

DeLeo says he hopes to hear from Zuckerberg soon.

“I’m going to be pushing this. I just want the opportunity to make our case here,” said DeLeo.

Facebook has offices all over the world, but DeLeo doesn’t want an office in Massachusetts, he wants Facebook headquarters.