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Watch why Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella poured icy water on themselves

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have both undertaken the ALS ice bucket challenge, which is to spread raise awareness about Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

FP Staff|Aug 14, 2014, 15:18:37 IST

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have both undertaken the ALS ice bucket challenge. The challenge is to raise awareness about Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which is neuro-degenerative and is also known as motor neurone disease (MND), or Lou Gehrig's disease in the US.The challenge, which has gone viral, has a simple request. Once challenged by someone, a user has to post a video of themselves dumping a bucket of ice cold water over their heads. Once soaked with cold water, they extend the challenge to others and ask them to either do the same or make a donation to an organisation dedicated to fighting ALS.Mark Zuckerberg posted his video on Facebook and you can check out his post below:

Post by Mark Zuckerberg.Zuckerberg has in turn challenged Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to take the challenge. Zuckerberg himself was challenged by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.Satya Nadella extended his challenge to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Google co-founder Larry Page. Nadella had been challenged by former pro-football player Steve Gleason on Twitter.[caption id="attachment_1664481" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Mark Zuckerberg after the icy water bath.[/caption]The ALS Association said the challenge has “literally soaked” the nation with everyone from 86-year-old widow of Senator Robert Kennedy, Ethel Kennedy to singer Justin Timberlake pouring a bucket of ice water over their heads and challenging others to do the same.In Microsoft's video, the CEO Nadella accepted the challenge and willingly allowed a group of employees to dump the bucket of ice water on his head. “The thing I’m really excited about is what Steve and the team have done to raise awareness for ALS.This is a great opportunity for all of us to contribute to not only raising awareness but to the research that can find cure for the disease,” he said in the video.In Zuckerberg's case, you can see him wearing his standard faded tee-shirt and jeans as he pours himself with ice-cold water. The expression on the Facebook CEO's face after he pours cold water on himself is priceless at the end.According to the ALS Association, an American dies of ALS every 90 minutes. ALS strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70 and as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. It is known as the Lou Gehrig’s disease in US after the legendary American baseball player who succumbed to the disease.