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Vin Diesel: Facebook 'owes me billions of dollars'

The ‘Fast & Furious’ actor reckons his pre-eminence in building a big following on the site has led the way.

WITH 41 MILLION million likes on Facebook, ‘Fast & Furious 6′ star Vin Diesel is one of the most popular celebrities on the social networking site.

But how did the action star create such a successful online persona? He got in the game early.

“What Facebook didn’t realize is something very big was about to happen, and that was — for the first time in history, and it’s kind of a fluke they didn’t see this coming — when I jumped on that page in April 2009, I started talking to people. In the realest ways,” Diesel tells Entertainment Weekly in a new interview.

“So, when I had started my page, the only person that had a million fans was Barack Obama. Because it was first-quarter 2009, and he’d just got elected as President, because of social media,” Diesel explains.

So, when I started talking to the fans, I became the No. 1 page in the world. Over Coca-Cola, over huge companies. And it was only because I said: ‘Hi, guys, I love you.’

The 45-year-old actor continues, “Imagine if you could’ve been a Facebook friend to Marlon Brando, or whoever your role models are. Imagine, if you were able to Facebook Elvis, and talk to him, and hear from him without the Hollywood of it all. That was the ‘Fast & Furious’ experience.”

“I think Hollywood, and the choices Hollywood has made, would’ve been radically different if Clark Gable had 40 million people on his Facebook page,” Diesel added.

At one point, Diesel was the number one fan page in the world — and even Facebook corporate didn’t understand why.

Diesel says the Facebook team asked him “to come up to their office to explain what the f— I was doing, and why I had so many fans.”

“Facebook really owes me billions of dollars,” he jokes. “But whatever.”

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    Mute Brendan Harlowe
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    May 12th 2013, 3:48 PM

    But they’re not all his real friends!

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    Mute Michelle Philpot
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    May 12th 2013, 3:47 PM

    Mega ego but I still would…..

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    Mute martin hession
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    May 12th 2013, 4:34 PM

    So would I

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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    May 12th 2013, 5:45 PM

    You’d have a better chance Martin! Old Vin bats for the other team!

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    Mute Sharon Larkin
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    May 12th 2013, 6:31 PM

    Someone would want to tell his wife then

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    Mute Paul Mc Namara
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    May 12th 2013, 3:56 PM

    Could I borrow a few , I’ve no friends : (

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    Mute Luke Campion
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    May 12th 2013, 4:52 PM

    ooooh….facebook friend…..

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    Mute Lorraine Keane
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    May 12th 2013, 4:26 PM

    Stop your jibber jabber and just kiss me

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    Mute Jonny Irish
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    May 12th 2013, 4:57 PM

    Cringe!

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    Mute Susan O Connell
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    May 12th 2013, 4:00 PM

    The trouble with ‘celebrity’ pages is that most of them are fake. Very few Facebook pages are run by the actual celebrity. Even Vin probably doesn’t talk individually to anyone on the page. A few that are really good are- George Takei, Matthew Gray Gubler(Criminal Minds), Josh Groban.

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    Mute Curry Chips
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    May 12th 2013, 4:58 PM

    That’s why i love Zach Braff’s page, you know its really him..

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    Mute The Red Devil
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    May 12th 2013, 5:02 PM

    Vin diesel- get over urself u pillock

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    Mute Keith Ward
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    May 12th 2013, 5:42 PM

    Why are you on the Journal commenting when United are playing and being presented with a trophy? Strange…

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    Mute Marc Power
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    May 12th 2013, 5:01 PM

    My goodness…. he can actually put a sentence together. .. almost fell over in shock

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    Mute Paul Ward
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    May 12th 2013, 4:53 PM

    Pity that he can’t act

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    Mute GoGo99
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    May 12th 2013, 4:58 PM

    Why?

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    Mute BoyLeonZ
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    May 12th 2013, 8:44 PM

    Really Vin, Marlon Brando on Facebook? You guys hasn’t so much in common…

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    Mute Raul ( unverified )
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    May 12th 2013, 7:07 PM

    41 million million ( nice typo journal ) likes … more than FB users :))

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    Mute Garrett O' Brien
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    May 13th 2013, 3:32 PM

    Hilarious. Vin Diesel comparing himself to Marlon Brando, Clark Gable and Elvis. Perhaps he’s never seen any of the films he’s been in.

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