The much-discussed hypothetical cage match between tech titans Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk appears to have encountered a snag, which is a surprise turn of events. The CEO of Meta, which runs Facebook and Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, has said that he is prepared to abandon the project due to Elon Musk’s lack of commitment.
The conflict between the two wealthy tech billionaires began when Musk tweeted in June that he was “up for a cage fight,” igniting a flurry of rumors and excitement on social media. With a confident “send me location,” Zuckerberg joined the debate in response to Musk’s tweet, appearing to embrace the challenge.
But as the weeks went by, it became more and more clear that the cage battle might only ever exist as online rumor rather than as a reality. Zuckerberg has vented his dissatisfaction on social media about Musk’s lack of dedication. He disclosed that he had really proposed a date for the bout and that Dana White, the president of the UFC, had even suggested turning it into a fundraising event. Despite this, Musk resisted committing to a certain time, citing surgery and proposed a mock race in Zuckerberg’s lawn.
Fingers were twitching in anticipation for the event when Musk— who, in his usual tongue-in-cheek fashion, renamed Twitter to ‘X’ — dropped a hint that an epic rendezvous point would be somewhere in Italy. His plans spilled over with details about live streaming of said event and he casually mentioned potential talks with the Italian prime minister. However, since these preliminary buzz-generating initiatives by him and the ensuing excitement thereof among people worldwide; there seems to have been quite a decided shift or flip-of-a-coin kind of scenario taking place now. Both parties appear ready—and not without some noticeable degree of mutual consent—to let go and head their separate ways.With the release of Threads, a chat-based application by Meta, tiffs and squabbles between two big-hitters in tech field graphically shot up. Twitter – renamed as ‘X’ under Musk’s hand – issued an accusatory cease-and-desist command to Meta. The accusation? Misuse and exploitation of proprietary secrets plus intellectual property.
Mark Zuckerberg isn’t just any ordinary tech mogul. Surprisingly, he’s got a history in mixed martial arts and even tossed himself into his very first jiu-jitsu tourney not too long ago, earlier this year to be exact. Now contrast that with Elon Musk, another titan of tech and well-known for his cheeky social media persona. He made wisecracks about prepping by lugging weights along to the office.
As the cage fight spectacle fades into the background, the tech world now turns its attention to other developments and rivalries. The playful feud between Zuckerberg and Musk may not have culminated in a physical showdown, but it certainly added an amusing twist to the larger narrative of competition and innovation in the technology industry.