Palo Alto , California ( CNN ) -- President Obama began his `` town hall '' event at Facebook 's offices on Wednesday with an anecdote . `` I hate to tell stories about Mark , '' Obama said , referring to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg , who was moderating the session . As if the two former Harvard students were old friends , Obama then launched into a brief retelling of a dinner party he atttended in February with the 26-year-old computer whiz and about a dozen other tech-industry elites . There , Zuckerberg sat to the president 's immediate right . `` I 'm the guy who got Mark to wear a jacket and tie , '' Obama said , referring to Zuckerberg , who abandoned his usual T-shirt and hoodie ensemble that day . `` Halfway through dinner , he 's starting to sweat a bit . It 's really uncomfortable for him . I helped him out of his jacket . `` In fact , if you want Mark , we can take our jackets off . '' And so , like Obama has often done during less-formal speeches , the president on Wednesday removed his coat . Zuckerberg followed , revealing a dress shirt and black tie . ( Though , he did wear sneakers . ) `` Yeah , you 're a lot better at this than me , '' Zuckerberg joked . That kicked off a very cordial hour-long conversation and seemed to loosen up the sometimes chilly technology prodigy . Zuckerberg stumbled during his opening remarks . `` Sorry , I 'm kind of nervous , '' he said after a flub in his introduction . For Obama , Wednesday was a chance to connect with both Silicon Valley influencers and young people in one poke . Throughout his answers , Obama related his typical talking points -- federal deficit , education , healthcare and immigration -- to those two groups . To the technorati , Obama promoted education in math and sciences , highlighted the especially acute real-estate market in the affluent area here , and talked up immigration reform . `` We do n't want them starting Intel in China , or starting Intel in France . We want them here , '' he said . To the youthful audience of Facebook employees , he provided advice and stirred his familiar call for change . `` Historically , part of what makes for a healthy democracy , what is a good politics , is when you have citizens who are informed , who are engaged . And what Facebook allows us to do is make sure this is n't just a one-way conversation , '' Obama said . For Facebook , the meeting was an opportunity to validate itself in the eyes of Washington , where it 's ramped up lobbying efforts recently . That 's important for most companies growing at the rate and size Facebook is . Zuckerberg has already proven himself to 500 million people who use the service and to wealthy investors . The Facebook founder is worth $ 13.5 billion , according to data from Forbes . That fact provided an opening for another ribbing from Obama , when discussing the president 's proposal for ending tax cuts for the wealthy . `` People like me and you , Mark , ( should be ) paying a little more in taxes , '' Obama said . `` I know you 're OK with that . '' Despite the president 's plan to take more of Zuckerberg 's money , the young billionaire praised Obama 's efforts in education reform . `` I think that the Race to the Top stuff that you guys have done is one of the most under-appreciated and most important things that your administration has done , '' Zuckerberg told the president . For his part , Zuckerberg announced in September that he would donate $ 100 million to Newark , New Jersey , public schools . Obama has commended Facebook in past speeches , including in his State of the Union address in January . He placed Zuckerberg 's creation in a pantheon of great American ingenuity success stories , beside the inventors of the light bulb and the airplane . `` We 're the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices ; the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers ; of Google and Facebook , '' Obama said in that speech . `` In America , innovation does n't just change our lives . It is how we make our living . '' Facebook indicated in statements leading up to Wednesday 's event that this was not an endorsement for the president . Likewise , White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters on the flight over here that the event was not meant to be a promotion for Facebook . `` This is not about endorsing a specific company , '' Carney said . `` It 's about accepting an invitation for a forum to speak to the American people . '' People traveling on Air Force One watched `` The Social Network , '' the controversial movie about the founding of Facebook , Carney said . Facebook did , however , offer a gift to Obama at the end of the event . It was a sweatshirt with the website 's logo stamped on the front -- `` in case , for some reason , you want to dress like me , '' Zuckerberg said .
At a Facebook event , President Obama repeatedly poked fun at Facebook 's founder . The pair had met before at a dinner for the president and Silicon Valley elite . Comment: