The ‘cage match’ Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appear to have agreed to as a fundraiser to be broadcast live on X, Elon Musk recently posted on its social media platform.
“Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X. All proceeds will go to charity for veterans,” Elon Musk posted.
In a swift response, Mark Zuckerberg asserted his readiness on Threads, the new programme he unveiled last month in a direct challenge to what was then still known as Twitter.
“Should not we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?” he added, in a dig at the wave of problems faced by Elon Musk’s platform since he took over last year.
The two billionaire businessmen, who periodically spared from a distance in the past, became direct rivals, after Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta launched its Twitter-like Threads platform in early July, quickly drawing 120 million users, according to Quiver Quantitative.
Elon Musk later wrote on X, “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” in reference to a style of Mixed Martial Arts in which competitors use a range of strategies, such as grappling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, while being constrained by few regulations.
Mark Zuckerberg, a fan of martial arts who has competed in jiu-jitsu matches, responded to Elon Musk’s initial, seemingly humorous, challenge by replying on Instagram “Send me location.”
The encounter triggered a flurry of comments on social media and sparked a competitive round of betting on who may win.
Despite Elon Musk’s apparent size advantage, the 39-year-old Mark Zuckerberg with his combat background emerged as the overwhelming favourite.
The bout, if it takes place, is anticipated to take place in Las Vegas but no date has been announced.
Over the years, the two digital behemoths have fought over everything from politics to artificial intelligence.
The pressure on the already shaky Twitter, which Elon Musk rebranded to X last month, increased with the launch of Threads.