It is undoubtedly the fight of the century.
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It looks like today's version of the 1971 epic opposition 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, the world's premier sports arena, was billed the "The Fight of the Century," one of the most publicized sporting events of all time.
More than half a century later, Ali and Frazier have been replaced by two tech luminaries, who between them symbolize the domination of tech in today's world. Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, and Mark Zuckerberg are two masters of Silicon Valley. Their respective empires are dominating the tech revolution in their own way.
Musk convinced the world, through Tesla (TSLA) - Get Free Report, to embrace electric vehicles as one way to address the climate emergency. He has revived space reconquest and promises humanity to conquer Mars shortly. He believes that a sustainable energy economy is possible and an era of abundance thanks to the robots he is developing.
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) - Get Free Report are used everywhere, and in almost all of our social interactions.
The two tech tycoons have acquired a lot of power as a result. On the other hand, they maintain a feisty relationship which seems to revolve around which of the two is the master of the masters of tech. Musk seems annoyed that Zuckerberg is centralizing the social media industry by offering almost everything competitors are offering, allowing him to virtually take over the online advertising market.
To resolve their differences, he did not hesitate to propose a cage fight in an octagon in Last Vegas.
"I'm up for a cage match if he is lol," Musk said on Jun.20.
"Send Me Location," Zuckerberg responded on Instagram on Jun.21.
"Vegas Octagon," Musk then said the same day.
The details of the fight as the date have not yet been given. But already, the prospect of seeing two of the world's most famous billionaires face off in an octagon was creating enormous excitement on social media where bets were already forming.
"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. Congress hearing.
"I want Elon to win but if they actually fight MMA, he's going to get submitted," said another Twitter user, referring to the fact Zuckerberg got into jiu-jitsu during the covid-19 lockdown.
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 being developed by Meta 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.