Two billionaires will transform into gladiators for a fight that undoubtedly will hold the world's attention.
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, and Mark Zuckerberg, the 10th richest man in the world, may be about to settle their differences in a modern duel.
Their fortunes were estimated at a combined $334 billion as of June 29, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk's net worth is $231 billion, while Zuckerberg's fortune is valued at $103 billion.
Their net wealth is based on the stock-market performance of their respective empires. Musk is co-founder and chief executive of the electric-vehicle manufacturer Tesla (TSLA), founder of SpaceX and owner of the Twitter social network. The bulk of his wealth is in his stakes in Tesla and SpaceX.
Zuckerberg is CEO of social-media giant Meta Platforms (META), parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Typically, the wealthy clash behind the scenes, hurling insults at each other or competing for some asset. The relationship is often indirect, via the media or the consigliere in charge of carrying the message.
But Musk and Zuckerberg are two different billionaires.
Musk and Zuck: Two Different Personalities
Musk is atypical, unconventional, never showing up where one expects him to be. He completely rewrote today's CEO guide. He has no limits and nothing is forbidden.
Zuckerberg has more barriers but still stands out. He has been one of the most criticized CEOs in recent years, as social media has become an essential place for public interaction. Despite the criticism Zuckerberg has stood strong in his convictions.
The two tech moguls have a feisty relationship. Musk blames Zuckerberg for controlling the social-media industry. When his Meta empire does not offer a competitor's service or app, Zuckerberg develops a copy to kill the competition, Musk seems to think.
He 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.
Musk seems to have had enough and proposed a cage match with his nemesis, who immediately accepted. Despite protests from his mother, Maye Musk, Musk is determined, like Zuckerberg, to move forward with this fight. Initially, he proposed that it take place in the Octagon in Las Vegas, MMA style.
But what is heralded as the fight of the century might well take place in a historic location, which created gladiator legends. This is the Colosseum in Rome.
Or at least this is what Musk has just indicated on Twitter.
"Some chance fight happens in Colosseum," the Tesla CEO tweeted on June 30.
In another tweet, he added: "Need to work on my endurance." That remark was accompanied by a 1 1/2-minute clip from the comedy film "Monty Python's Life of Brian," which depicts a fight in Jerusalem's Colosseum.
The serial entrepreneur's messages coincide with the publication of a TMZ article, indicating that Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has contacted Musk and Zuckerberg to offer them to fight their battle in the Roman arena.
The two billionaires are excited by this idea, reports TMZ, and immediately contacted Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White. White’s entourage subsequently contacted the Italian minister.
Holding the fight in Italy would avert problems that might arise if it were held in Las Vegas.
'No Limit on What It Could Make': UFC President
The Colosseum is an ancient Roman amphitheater, built during the reigns of Emperors Vespasian and Titus, then modified by Domitian. This Flavian amphitheater was a theater housing gladiator fights or even wild animal hunts.
Although the Colosseum is now in ruins, it remains the symbol of Rome in the world and is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. According to an estimate by the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Flavian Amphitheater receives 6 million visitors a year and is the most visited monument in Italy.
If the fight between Musk and Zuckerberg were held there, it would generate huge publicity for Rome and Italy.
"This would be the biggest fight ever in the history of the world, bigger than anything that’s ever been done,” White said. "It would break all pay-per-view records.”
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/TheStreet
A standard UFC pay-per-view show costs $80, but White said that he would charge $100 for the Musk-Zuckerberg fight.
The actual pay-per-view record is the fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather in 2017. That fight generated more than $600 million in revenue, according to White, who says the Musk-Zuckerberg fight will set a record.
"I think it triples [Mayweather-McGregor],” he said. "There’s no limit on what this thing can make.”
As for the weigh-in for the battle: Musk is 6'2" and 230 pounds (1.88 meters and 104 kilos) vs. Zuckerberg at 5'7” and 145 pounds (1.7m and 66kg).
Musk, who says that he has done judo and street fighting, has started training ahead of this fight.
Zuckerberg began training in jiu-jitsu during the covid-19 lockdown. Last month, he won two medals in the Brazilian martial art. As a result, many believe that he would have an advantage in such a match.
The Project That Prompted the Fight
The rivalry between the two tech billionaires has crystallized in recent weeks around "Project 92," or "Barcelona."
"Project 92" is a platform Meta reportedly 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.
This means that Meta is becoming a centralized social-media entity, by having copies of 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 online advertising revenue.
