Billionaires and rivals in the social media market, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, traded new online punches on Sunday, with the Meta founder stating that the owner of X — formerly known as Twitter — was not taking a suggested charity cage battle seriously.
“I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on,” Zuckerberg wrote on his Threads social platform.
“I offered a real date… Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead.”
Musk quickly responded on X, the platform he bought last year that was previously called Twitter.
“Zuck is a chicken,” Musk posted.
The Tesla boss said he would head to Silicon Valley Monday: “Can’t wait to bang on his door tomorrow.”
When an X user suggested Zuckerberg was getting cold feet about the match, Musk referred to a popular US fast food chain known for its chicken offerings.
“He can’t eat at Chick-fil-A because that would be cannibalism,” Musk posted.
The two tech titans have gone back and forth on social media about fighting each other in a much-hyped charity match.
Musk said Friday the fight would take place in Italy, as authorities there confirmed talks about hosting a “great charity event.”
“I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture,” Musk wrote, referring to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “They have agreed on an epic location.”
In response, Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself shirtless and pinning down an opponent in his “backyard octagon.”
A martial arts enthusiast who has taken part in jiujitsu competitions, Zuckerberg said, “I love this sport and I’ve been ready to fight since the day Elon challenged me.”
“If he ever agrees on an actual date, you’ll hear it from me. Until then, please assume anything he says has not been agreed on.”
Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italy’s Culture Minister, confirmed chatting with Musk about “how to organize a great charity event evoking history,” but stated any match “will not be held in Rome.”
Any event with Musk, according to Sangiuliano, will raise “a huge sum, many millions of euros, (that) will be donated to two important Italian pediatric hospitals.”
The two internet titans, who have occasionally sparred from afar, became direct rivals in early July, when Zuckerberg’s Meta unveiled its Twitter-like Threads platform.
Musk said on Friday that he may require “minor surgery” to fix a “problem with my right shoulder blade rubbing against my ribs.”
“Recovery will only take a few months,” he added.
The world’s richest person has a titanium plate holding two vertebrae together but said Friday it is currently “not an issue.”