Tech billionaire Elon Musk has shifted from challenging Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to a cage fight to now proposing a “noble” debate instead.
Business Insider reports that Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and most recently Twitter (now known as X) has taken a step back from his earlier challenge to Mark Zuckerberg for a cage fight. Instead, Musk is now floating the idea of a “noble” debate with the Facebook CEO.
Elon Musk’s Halloween costume (Taylor Hill /Getty)
Mark Zuckerberg martial arts tourney (Mark Zuckerberg)
The change of heart came after Musk revealed on Sunday that he might need to undergo surgery before the proposed cage match. “May require surgery before the fight can happen. Will know this week,” Musk tweeted.
The idea of a debate instead of a physical fight was further fueled by TED curator Chris Anderson, who proposed a “cage match DEBATE” between the two billionaires. Anderson tweeted, “Here’s a better idea: a cage match DEBATE ‘How to Build an Amazing Future.’” Musk responded: “sounds like a good idea too.”
That sounds like a good idea too.
This is really fighting as (I believe) a noble sport. We also hope, with humility, to express our admiration for those who have fought before for noble causes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2023
“This is really fighting as (I believe) a noble sport,” Musk replied. “We also hope, with humility, to express our admiration for those who have fought before for noble causes.”
The proposed debate aligns with an earlier suggestion from Musk’s mother, Maye Musk, who in June advised her son and Zuckerberg to “fight with words only” instead of physical confrontation. “A verbal fight only. Three questions each. The funniest answers win. Who agrees?” Maye Musk tweeted on June 23.
A verbal fight only. Three questions each. The funniest answers win. Who agrees? https://t.co/qDQ6Ae9lEU
— Maye Musk (@mayemusk) June 23, 2023
Musk’s chances of beating Zuckerberg in a physical fight were considered slim, given Zuckerberg’s MMA training and jiu-jitsu medals. Musk himself was realistic about his odds, stating, “If the fight is short, I probably win. If long, he may win on endurance.”
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan