Elon Musk, owner of the social network Twitter and president of the car company Tesla, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of the technology company Meta (owner of the networks Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) are ready for a "fight in a cage", according to an exchange of public messages on the Internet.
The duel, for now virtual, began earlier this week when Mario Nawfal, founder and president of the consultancy International Blockchain Consulting, published a message on Twitter in which he said "META is going to launch a Twitter rival called THREADS". It has been reported that Meta is working on a text social network that could compete with Twitter, taking advantage of the turbulence that the network is going through since its purchase by Musk last October.
Zuckerberg (left) and Musk, in file images. Getty Images
Musk responded: "I'm sure Earth is eager to be exclusively under Zuck's finger with no other options. At least that will be healthy. I worried for a moment."
[Government Sues Amazon: Accuses It of Underwriting Customers on Prime Without Permission and Hindering Cancellations]
Another user then warned Musk to "be careful" because Zuckerberg "now practices jiu jitsu." It was previously reported that Zuckerberg, 38, has successfully participated in Brazilian jiu jitsu tournaments and trains with Dave Camarillo, who has a black belt in judo and jiu jitsu and has groomed several UFC mixed martial arts champions.
Musk responded, "I'm ready for a cage fight if it is." And Zuckerberg, in a message Wednesday night on Instagram reproducing Musk's text, replied: "Send me where."
Musk then suggested "Octagon in Las Vegas" as the location for the fight in a cage, a mode of combat popularized by the UFC and other similar mixed martial arts franchises.
News outlet The Verge confirmed that Zuckerberg is "serious about having a fight with Musk and is waiting for the details" if Musk actually decides to do so. "The story speaks for itself," a Meta spokesperson told a news outlet, referring to Zuckerberg's Instagram post.
It was unclear whether the fight between the two tech industry leaders would actually take place or whether Musk's tweets were serious.
The European Union imposes a millionaire fine on Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram
May 22, 202300:34
On Wednesday, Musk posted another message on Twitter in which he said, "I have this tremendous move that I call The Walrus, where I ride on top of my opponent and do nothing." He added: "I almost never train, except for picking up my kids and throwing them into the air."
While it's far from clear that the fight will happen, bookmaker DraftKings' projects a 140+ win chance for Musk and -160 for Zuckerberg on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.