Billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have been playfully discussing the idea of a cage fight between them for several weeks. However, Zuckerberg seems to have put an end to the plans, stating on Sunday that he’s ready to “move on” from the idea, asserting that Musk “isn’t serious” about confirming a fight date.
Zuckerberg made this announcement on Threads, Meta’s alternative to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). He explained that it’s time to let go of the idea because Musk has not committed to a date. Additionally, Musk mentioned needing surgery and extensive recovery time before the fight, proposing a practice round in Zuckerberg’s backyard.
On the same day, Musk shared a screenshot of a text conversation on X, his platform, where he seemed to suggest a practice round. Zuckerberg responded by advising Musk to train independently and inform him when he’s prepared to compete. Zuckerberg also expressed his reluctance to continue hyping an event that may never come to fruition.
The two tech magnates have been bantering about the potential fight on their respective platforms since late June. Despite both CEOs sharing images of themselves training with UFC fighters and UFC president Dana White offering assistance in organizing the match, no concrete plans have emerged.
Recently, Musk mentioned speaking with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who allegedly agreed to host the battle at an “epic location.” Musk proposed that both of their charitable foundations would coordinate the event. However, Zuckerberg quickly refuted this, advising people to assume that Musk’s statements had not been agreed upon.
Zuckerberg’s decision appears to stem from his desire to focus on competing against individuals who take the sport seriously. In terms of net worth, Musk holds the title of the world’s wealthiest person, estimated at $225.3 billion by Forbes, due to his involvement with Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter. Zuckerberg, known for his role in founding Facebook and overseeing its parent company Meta, has an estimated net worth of $106.9 billion, making him the eighth richest person globally.
The rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg escalated when Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, entering the social media landscape dominated by Zuckerberg’s Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. Their competition extended to technology with Meta’s launch of Threads, a direct competitor to X. This sparked legal disputes and claims of intellectual property theft and staff recruitment. Despite an initially high sign-up rate for Threads, user engagement quickly waned after its launch.
