In recent times, Tech Giants have been in the headlines of news outlets for many different reasons, whether it be Congressional hearings for invasions of personal privacy or smashing the windows of their cyber truck. No matter what, they’ve given NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” a lot to work with. But, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have recently been in the news for something different.
If the idea of billionaires fighting each other in the name of charity made you happy, don’t be; the fight has already been called off.
On August 11, Elon Musk tweeted that a fight was scheduled between him and Zuckerberg. This fight would be separate from the UFC and take place in Italy. A date was not yet confirmed, but all “proceeds go to veterans.”
This tweet was long awaited as in June, Musk also tweeted that there was “some chance” that a fight between Zuckerberg and Musk could occur.
The fight style was never officially confirmed, but in a tweet, Musk said it would be a “cage fight.” The type could vary because of the training Musk and Zuckerberg have had. Musk knows Judo, Karate and Jiu Jitsu, while Zuckerberg only knows Jiu Jitsu.
The fight caught the public’s attention not only because of the billionaires themselves but also because of their extreme physical differences. USA Today dissected the differences between the Tech Giants. Elon Musk is 52 years old, 6’2”, and 187 pounds. Zuckerberg holds an advantage when it comes to age, being 39 years old, but shows a downfall in height at only 5’7”, only clocking in at 155 pounds. However, in this data collection, Musk disputed the results, saying he weighs over 300 pounds.
As the fight’s popularity grew, so did the chances of it actually happening. Musk tweeted plans to stream the fight on X as well as Meta. Musk also wrote that he had been in contact with the Prime Minister of Italy and the Minister of Culture; according to Musk, together, they had come up with an “epic” location for the fight.
As time went on, a date was never established. “Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on. I offered a real date,” Zuckerberg stated. This statement is quite a surprise as Musk had been the primary one organizing the location and event.
“Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead,” Zuckerberg says. The surgery Zuckerberg is referring to was reported on by CBS. Musk will need an MRI of his back and possibly require surgery depending on the results.
He would instead “focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously”
Zuckerberg said. In this Threads post, Zuckerberg is seen at practice with other fighters and appears to be firing back at Musk for the lack of dedication to the fight.
With Musk not yet setting a date and the possibility of surgery soon, the fight is off for now. The only significant impact of this cancellation is that the funds from this fight would have raised money for charity. Musk started the controversy with a Tweet, and Zuckerberg ended it with a Thread.
