Two of the world’s richest and most influential males, who occur to run rival social media networks, appeared to goad one another into agreeing to a battle, setting their platforms abuzz on the notion of a “cage match” between the billionaires.
Elon Musk, who often posts jokes and provocations on Twitter, which he purchased for $44 billion final yr, responded this week to tweets a couple of potential competing service by Meta, run by Mark Zuckerberg, by saying, “I’m up for a cage match if he’s.”
On Instagram, the social community owned by Meta, Mr. Zuckerberg responded with a screenshot of Mr. Musk’s tweet and the caption, “Ship Me Location.”
It went on from there, in a distinguished demonstration of the defiant, combative tone of “bro” tradition in Silicon Valley, although sparring on social media has not often, if ever, spilled into the bodily world.
A Meta spokeswoman stated Mr. Zuckerberg’s response “speaks for itself.” Twitter’s media workplace auto-responded to a request for remark with a poop emoji.
Final summer season, Mr. Zuckerberg stated he had taken up Brazilian jujitsu. He has since posted a number of instances about his coaching, together with pictures with skilled fighters like Dave Camarillo and Mikey Musumeci. Final month, Mr. Zuckerberg competed in his first Brazilian jujitsu occasion, in Woodside, Calif., the place he defeated an Uber engineer and received two medals.
Mr. Musk stated, “I nearly by no means work out.” He proposed that the battle be held at an enviornment in Las Vegas.
Greater than in different sectors, tech leaders have been recognized to embrace battle in public boards, stated Katy Prepare dinner, writer of “The Psychology of Silicon Valley,” who described the trade as a “male-dominated, emotionally primitive” surroundings the place leaders are rewarded for shows of hypermasculinity.
“Whenever you get a style of energy through a few of these methods of behaving, it tastes good for lots of people,” Dr. Prepare dinner stated.
The 2 moguls have a historical past of butting heads — rhetorically, not bodily — over huge subjects of their trade. Mr. Zuckerberg invited Mr. Musk to a dinner at his house in 2014 to attempt to persuade him that he was too alarmist in regards to the threats of synthetic intelligence. Mr. Musk didn’t change his thoughts, and has continued to warn of the risks of A.I. Mr. Musk has stated that Instagram “makes folks depressed” and that Fb, additionally owned by Meta, “provides me the willies.”
