It is undoubtedly the fight of the century.
It looks like today's version of the 1971 epic battle between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, considered two of the greatest boxers who ever lived.
Their battle for supremacy in March 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden, one of the world's premier sports arenas, was billed as the "The Fight of the Century." (In one of the most publicized sporting events of all time, Frazier won in 15 rounds by unanimous decision.)
More than half a century later, Ali and Frazier have been replaced by two luminaries who between them symbolize tech's domination in today's world.
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, and Mark Zuckerberg are two masters of Silicon Valley. Their respective empires are dominating the tech revolution, each in its own way.
Musk, as chief executive of Tesla (TSLA), has persuaded the world to embrace electric vehicles as one way to address the climate emergency. He has revived space reconquest and promises humanity that he'll soon conquer Mars. He says a sustainable energy economy, and an era of abundance thanks to the robots he is developing, is possible.
Zuckerberg may not be as visionary as Musk, but his empire is very present in the daily lives of billions of people. The Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram apps that form Meta Platforms (META) are used everywhere, and in almost all of the world's social-media interactions.
Musk v. Zuck or the Big Buzz
The two tech tycoons have acquired a lot of power. They also maintain a feisty personal relationship, which seems to revolve around which of the two is the master of the masters of tech.
Musk is annoyed by what he sees as Zuckerberg trying to centralize the social-media industry by offering almost everything competitors are offering, enabling him to virtually take over the online-advertising market.
To resolve their differences, Musk proposed a cage match in Last Vegas.
"I’m up for a cage match if he is lol," Musk said on June 20.
"Send Me Location," Zuckerberg responded on Instagram on June.21.
"Vegas Octagon," Musk then said the same day.
The details of the fight, including the date, are unclear as yet. And of course, the question of whether the two men are serious remains open. But just the prospect of seeing two of the world's most famous billionaires face off fist to fist is creating enormous excitement on social media, where sides were being chosen and bets were about to be placed.
"Mark Zuckerberg has accepted Elon Musk’s challenge to a cage fight," commented one Twitter user. "Are you #TeamElon or #TeamZuck? 🥊"
"My money is on the guy that doesnt need a booster seat," one Twitter user responded, with a photo showing Zuckerberg using a booster during what appears to be a U.S. congressional hearing.
"I want Elon to win but if they actually fight [mixed martial arts], he’s going to get submitted," said another Twitter user, referring to the fact Zuckerberg got into jiu-jitsu during the covid-19 lockdown.
Advantage to Zuck in Battle With Elon?
Last month, he won two medals in the Brazilian martial art. As a result many believe he would have an advantage in such a match.
"Team Elon, but Mark will win this," said another Twitter user.
Another user agreed.
"Elon -- but Zuck has been hitting the gym & training. Will be a great fight," the user said.
The rivalry between the two tech billionaires has crystallized in recent weeks around "Project 92," or "Barcelona."
"Project 92" is reportedly a platform Meta is developing to essentially mirror Twitter. The app is said to enable creators to have conversations with their audiences and peers, using a maximum of 500 characters alongside attachable links, photos, and videos. Users will also be able to engage with posts through replies, likes, and reposts.
Creators will be able to link their Instagram accounts with the new app and bring along their followers as well as their bios, handles and verifications.
This means that Meta is becoming a centralized social-media entity, by having a copy of the other social-media apps in its ecosystem.
Instagram is, for instance, battling TikTok with Reels, which focuses on short-form video content. That's the core of TikTok's identity. All this enables Meta to collect a big share of the online advertising market.
