In an unexpected turn of events, two of the world’s most prominent tech billionaires, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, have agreed to face off in a cage match.
A Challenge Issued and Accepted
Elon Musk, the maverick CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, took to Twitter to announce his readiness for a “cage fight” with Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta’s chief, Mark Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg responded to the challenge with a screenshot of Musk’s tweet and a simple, yet loaded, response: “send me location.”
A spokesperson from Meta confirmed the exchange to the BBC, stating, “The story speaks for itself.”
Setting the Stage for the Showdown
Musk, not one to back down, replied to Zuckerberg’s response with a cryptic “Vegas Octagon.” The Octagon, a competition mat and fenced-in area, is synonymous with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts, which are based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Musk, who is set to turn 52 later this month, also tweeted about a move he calls ‘The Walrus’, where he would “just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing.”
He followed this up with short videos of walruses, hinting that his challenge to Zuckerberg might be more tongue-in-cheek than serious.
Training and Preparation
On the other hand, Zuckerberg, 39, has been training in mixed martial arts (MMA) and has recently won jiu-jitsu tournaments. Musk, in contrast, tweeted, “I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids & throwing them in the air.”
I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids & throwing them in the air
โ Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2024
Public Reaction and Speculation
The online exchanges have gone viral, with social media users debating the potential winner of the bout and sharing memes and mock posters advertising the fight. Seyi Taylor, a business consultant, tweeted, “Choose your fighter” with pictures of the two tech bosses.
Nick Peet, a broadcaster and fight sports journalist, told the BBC’s World at One programme that Dana White, the president of the UFC, would be “licking his lips at the possibility of putting this fight on”.
He even speculated that the fight could actually go ahead, primarily due to Musk’s eccentric personality.
A History of Unconventional Announcements
Musk is known for his unconventional and often whimsical announcements. In the past, he claimed to have made his dog the chief executive of Twitter and announced plans for a hyperloop train system, which has yet to materialize.
However, he has also followed through on some of his pronouncements, including stepping down as Twitter CEO after users voted in favor of his resignation in a poll.
A New Chapter in Tech Rivalry
This cage fight challenge comes at a time when Meta has revealed plans for a text-based social network designed to compete with Twitter. This new platform, currently known as P92, could potentially pose a significant challenge to Musk’s Twitter.
As the world watches this unusual challenge unfold, one thing is clear: the tech world is never short of surprises.
