Don’t Listen To What Elon Says About Billionaires’ Clash

Topline

The world’s richest man Elon Musk provided the most concrete details to date on his fight with billionaire social media rival Mark Zuckerberg, but with a catch: Musk’s foe later said the update was completely bogus.

Mark Zuckerberg (left, green shirt) is out for blood.

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Key Facts

In a Friday morning post on his X social media platform (formerly known as Twitter), Musk said he spoke to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who agreed to an “epic location” for the battle; Musk previously said it’s possible he and Zuckerberg duel at the Roman Colosseum.

Musk added that his and Zuckerberg’s charitable foundations will organize the fight, rather than the UFC, despite the apparent best efforts of the mixed martial arts organization’s president’s Dana White.

Later Friday, Zuckerberg posted to Meta’s Threads platform that people should “assume anything [Musk] says has not been agreed on,” adding he’s “ready to fight” any time.

Musk also said Friday he has to go under the knife to fix “a problem with my right shoulder blade rubbing against my ribs,” a procedure which will take a “few months” of recovery.

Zuckerberg teased the possibility of him stepping into the octagon against an opponent other than Musk, writing Friday he’ll “share details on my next fight when I’m ready” and wants to “create a great card” with an organization like UFC with a fight.

Tangent

Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italy’s culture minister, said earlier Friday he did in fact talk to Musk about a fight happening in Italy but that it won’t happen in Rome, knocking out the possibility of a Colosseum showdown.

Forbes Valuations

Musk’s $227 billion fortune, amassed primarily via his stake in his electric vehicle giant Tesla, is the largest of anybody on earth, while Zuckerberg’s $108 billion net worth makes him the eighth-richest person in the world, according to Forbes’ calculations.

Key Background

The rivalry between the 52-year-old Musk and 39-year-old Zuckerberg initially accelerated last year when Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, becoming a major player in the social media space long dominated by Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Instagram. But leading up to the July launch of Meta’s direct Twitter competitor, Threads, the feud turned physical as both billionaires said they were willing to formally battle.

Crucial Quote

“Dudes need some outlet for trad masculinity,” the musician Grimes, mother of two of Musk’s children, explained about the origin of the fight in an interview with Wired published earlier this week. “Elon is very strong, but Zuck seems like he’s been training a ton,” Grimes added.