Of all the masters of Silicon Valley, there is one for whom Elon Musk seems to harbor a terrible enmity.
Their differences seem very deep and nothing seems able to reconcile them. And the messages from the whimsical and charismatic chief executive of Tesla (TSLA) suggest that the hostility will only deepen.
Musk's enemy is Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of social-media giant Meta Platforms (META), parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Musk has dubbed Zuckerberg "Zuck the Fourteenth," an apparent nod to the French King Louis XIV, famous for his hubris and excess. The unflattering nickname suggested that Zuckerberg had autocratic impulses.
"As for media sort of ownership, I mean, you've got, you know, Zuck work [at and owning] Facebook and Instagram and WhatsApp, and with a share ownership structure that will have Zuckerberg the 14th still controlling those entities," Musk said during an April 2022 TED interview about his acquisition of Twitter, the microblogging website.
"[We] certainly won't have that at Twitter. If you commit to opening up the algorithm, that definitely gives some level of confidence."
Zuckerberg recently tried to ease tensions between them by claiming that Musk inspired him to launch an austerity program, much welcomed by the investment community, at Meta. Since announcing the cut of 21,000 jobs since November, Meta’s stock has soared, as has the tycoon's net worth.
'Earth Can't Wait to Be Under Zuck's Thumb': Musk
"I do think that Elon led a push early on to make Twitter a lot leaner. And I think that you can agree or disagree exactly with the tactics on how he did that ... but a lot of the specific principles he pushed on ... fewer layers of managers, I think that those were generally good changes. And I think they were probably good changes for the industry," Zuckerberg said during an interview with the podcaster Lex Fridman.
After acquiring Twitter for $44 billion last October, Musk cut more than two-thirds (69%) of the company's 7,500 jobs.
Musk apparently wasn't impressed by Zuckerberg's complimentary words. The entrepreneur just issued a warning against Zuckerberg, whose group is developing a rival to Twitter.
"META to Release 'Twitter Rival' Called THREADS," a Twitter user posted on June 20. "META, the same company that copied Snapchat, TikTok, StumbleUpon, Foursquare, BeReal and Clubhouse, began coding 'Project 92’ three months after Elon acquired Twitter. Rumors have been circulating about the app's public name being 'Threads’."
Musk was quick to comment, seeing Zuckerberg's new project as an effort to control the social-media industry, which he considers bad for consumers.
"I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options," the billionaire blasted out. "At least it will be 'sane'. Was worried there for a moment," he added with a laughing emoji.
Musk seems to be saying that Zuckerberg may end up controlling all social-media platforms. Centralizing virtual interactions is dangerous because it will give his rival too much power, the Tesla CEO seems to suggest.
'I'm Up for a Cage Match if He Is LOL': Musk
It was then that a Twitter user asked him to be careful because Zuckerberg practiced the martial art of jiu-jitsu. Musk took this remark to offer to finally resolve their differences via an MMA-style fight.
"Better be careful @elonmusk I heard he does the ju jitsu now," the user said.
"I’m up for a cage match if he is lol," Musk responded.
The billionaire was likely joking. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zuckerberg, who got into jiu-jitsu during the covid-19 lockdown, last month won two medals in the Brazilian martial art.
Meta is indeed reportedly about to launch a rival platform to Twitter, which it has been developing under a codename, "P92," "Project 92," or "Barcelona."
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.
