Who else had this on their 2023 bingo card? In the midst of a global cost of living crisis, two tech titans have presented us with an unexpected yet entertaining proposition: a cage fight.
Elon Musk, the audacious CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has indirectly challenged Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to a cage fight. And funnily enough, Zuckerberg seems to be down for the challenge.
This playful feud started on Twitter, where Musk has been taunting Zuckerberg with zingers like “Zuck my 👅.” During an internal all-hands meeting at Meta last week, chief product officer Chris Cox told employees the company thinks creators want a version of Twitter that is “sanely run,” drawing cheers. In a recent podcast interview with Lex Fridman, Zuckerberg added, “I’ve always thought that Twitter should have a billion people using it.” which felt like a pointed jab.
The tension escalated when Musk tweeted that he would be “up for a cage fight” with Zuckerberg. In a swift response, the Meta CEO posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet: “send me location.” Musk, never one to back down, responded: “Vegas Octagon.” He added, “I have this great move that I call ‘The Walrus,’ where I just lie on top of my opponent and do nothing.” which sounds like the words of someone who maybe realises they’ve said too much.
In a world where tech billionaire CEOs literally fighting is a reality, Musk versus Zuckerberg would be as good as it gets. Musk, 51, has the upper hand in terms of sheer physical size, and he’s talked about being in “real hard-core street fights” during his South African upbringing. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg, 39, is an aspirational MMA fighter, already winning Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and recently completing the gruelling “Murph Challenge” workout in under 40 minutes.
Let’s be honest; Musk seems to say a lot of things and is a proficient bullshitter. I’m not a trained fighter, but I’ve seen the videos of Zuckerberg fighting, and he seems to have some of his techniques down. Even skilled fighters have come out and praised him.
Regardless of who would emerge victorious, a Musk-versus-Zuckerberg match would be one of the most entertaining fights of all time. It could be the perfect distraction from the economic doom ensnarling many of us.
The question remains: Will Musk bail like he tried doing with his Twitter acquisition, or will he go through with it? I’m inclined to put my money on Zuck. He’s a conditioned fighter and has proven his mettle in MMA tournaments. Despite the size difference, I think we’ll see a masterclass in skill here.
But in the end, the real winners will be us, the spectators. Seeing two billionaires beat the shit out of each other? I didn’t have that on my 2023 bingo card.
