Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has expressed his skepticism about the cage fight challenge issued by Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). In a post on Threads, the new social media app launched by Meta in July, Zuckerberg said he is “ready today” for the fight but Musk has not confirmed a date. “Not holding my breath,” Zuckerberg wrote.
Zuckerberg was responding to a series of posts by Musk on X, where he claimed that he had spoken to the prime minister of Italy and the minister of culture and they had agreed on an “epic location” for the fight in Rome. “Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all,” Musk wrote. He also said that the fight would be overseen by his and Zuckerberg’s respective foundations, rather than a professional organization like the UFC, and that it would be livestreamed on both Meta and X platforms. He added that all proceeds from the fight would “go to veterans”.
Zuckerberg questions Musk’s credibility and reliability
Zuckerberg, however, cast doubt on Musk’s claims and questioned his credibility and reliability. He said that he had proposed August 26 as the date for the fight but Musk had not confirmed. He also suggested that Musk’s posts were not serious and compared them to his infamous “funding secured” tweet in 2018, when he announced that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share. That tweet led to a $20 million fine from the US Securities and Exchange Commission and a lawsuit from Tesla shareholders.
Zuckerberg also mocked Musk’s health issues, which he said might require minor surgery on his neck and upper back. “Recovery will only take a few months,” Musk had posted on X. Zuckerberg replied: “I love this sport and I’ve been ready to fight since the day Elon challenged me. If he ever agrees on an actual date, you’ll hear it from me. Until then, please assume anything he says has not been agreed on.”
Zuckerberg also took a jab at X, the social media platform that Musk acquired in 2022 and renamed after his company. He asked: “Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?” X has faced criticism for its changes under Musk’s leadership, such as forcing users to log in to view posts, firing many employees, and censoring some content.
The rivalry between Meta and X intensifies
The cage fight challenge is the latest episode in the escalating rivalry between Meta and X, which became direct competitors after the launch of Threads in July. Threads is a new social media app that allows users to create and share short-form content with text, images, videos, and audio. It reached 100 million users within a week of its launch, benefiting from Meta’s immense reach and user base.
However, Threads also faced some challenges, such as losing more than half of its users by the end of July and facing lawsuits from X and other platforms for allegedly copying their features. X has also accused Threads of violating its patents and stealing its data. X has about 300 million active users as of August 2023.
The cage fight challenge was initiated by Musk in June, when he posted on X that he was “up for a cage fight” with Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg responded by posting a screenshot of Musk’s tweet with the caption “send me location”. Musk then suggested “Vegas Octagon”, referring to the UFC’s trademarked fighting arena. He also joked that he had a “great move” called “The Walrus”, where he would just lie on top of his opponent and do nothing.
The public reaction is mixed
The public reaction to the cage fight challenge has been mixed, with some people expressing excitement and curiosity, while others dismissing it as a publicity stunt or a joke. Some have also questioned the ethics and legality of such an event, especially if it involves charity money.
Some celebrities have also weighed in on the potential bout, such as UFC president Dana White, who said he would be happy to host the fight if it ever happens. He also offered to train Zuckerberg, who is known to be a martial arts enthusiast. Actor Dwayne Johnson, who played a UFC fighter in the movie Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, said he would love to see the fight and offered to be the referee. Singer Lady Gaga, who is friends with both Zuckerberg and Musk, said she hoped they would settle their differences peacefully and collaborate instead of fighting.
