After a much publicized cross-country tour of the USA, there is speculation mounting that Mark Zuckerberg could make a presidential run.

Now, a shock new poll has found that the Facebook founder would be in a dead heat with Donald Trump.

The data, released by North Carolina polling group Public Policy Polling, shows 40 per cent of voters siding with Zuckerberg as a Democrat and 40 per cent backing Republican Donald Trump.

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In the poll 40 per cent of voters back Zuckerberg for president in the 2020 election

One in five voters said they were unsure who to vote for in the hypothetical match-up.

The Facebook CEO, who is worth $68.4 billion dollars, attracted a lot of attention when he embarked on his 50-state tour of the US earlier this year.

His visits to fracking sites in North Dakota, drug addiction clinics in Ohio and cattle ranches in North Dakota fueled speculation that he was preparing for a career in politics.

However Zuckerberg has insisted that the trip was solely to broaden his perspective.

On May he posted on Facebook: 'Some of you have asked if this challenge means I'm running for public office. I'm not.

The hypothetical 'election' becomes a dead heat between the Facebook giant and Donald Trump

'I'm doing it to get a broader perspective to make sure we're best serving our community of almost 2 billion people.'

According to Silicon Valley insiders, the phrase 'He wants to be emperor' has become a common way of describing the tech giant over the last few years.

One told Vanity Fair: 'Zuck [sic] has the kind of personality that, no matter what he decided to do, he's going to do it better than anyone else on the planet'.

Zuckerberg has earned attention for his cross-country tour of the United States

But he is not the first Silicon Valley giant to flex his political muscles - or at least flirt with the idea.

Peter Thiel, the billionaire founder of PayPal, has been an ardent supporter of Donald Trump since his campaign and helped finance him.

Roger Mercer, a reclusive tech genius and hedge-fund manager, has contributed millions to Conservative causes and politicians.

His earnest and social media-friendly posts have fueled speculation that he might run for president

Zuckerberg, however, still has some work to do. When asked in survey whether they have a favorable on unfavorable opinion of him, only 24 per cent of respondants said favorable.

Meanwhile 29 per cent said they had an unfavorable opinion, and 47 per cent wern't sure what to think of him.