Tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have maintained a public rivalry, with Musk displeasedly criticizing Zuckerberg’s Independence Day celebrations and saying, “I prefer to work.”
Business Insider Reports The feud between tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has taken a new turn, with Musk criticizing Zuckerberg’s Independence Day video. I posted a clip “Happy Birthday, America!” he captioned a photo of himself riding a hydrofoil in a tuxedo, waving an American flag and sipping a beer. But Musk was unimpressed with the patriotic display.
In response to Zuckerberg’s video, Musk expressed his displeasure on X (formerly Twitter): “I hope he continues to have fun on his yacht. I prefer work,” Musk wrote, alluding to the two men’s differing work ethics and priorities.
I hope he continues to have fun on his yacht. I prefer my job.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2024
This latest exchange is just one in a series of public spat between the two tech titans. Their rivalry gained widespread attention in June 2023 when Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a cage match following reports that Meta was developing a competing product to X. While Zuckerberg was initially open to the idea, the proposed fight never materialized, leading to further provocations from Musk.
On Zuckerberg’s 40th birthday, Musk reiterated the challenge, saying, “I wish Zuckerberg was as tough as him (sigh). I offered to fight him anytime, anywhere, under any rules, and all I got in return was silence.” However, Zuckerberg claims that Musk wasn’t serious about the fight, using the excuse that various health issues might prevent the match from happening.
The exact date is still in flux. I have an MRI tomorrow on my neck and upper back.
He may need surgery before the game. We’ll know later this week.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2023
“We all agree that Elon’s not serious,” Zuckerberg said, noting that Musk was unwilling to set a firm date for the fight and only suggested a “scrimmage” in his backyard, a fact revealed in screenshots of text messages between the two tech moguls, in which Musk suggested a “scrimmage” at Zuckerberg’s house, to which Zuckerberg responded by advising Musk to train for a “real MMA fight” and to “contact me when you’re ready to fight.”
The full message is as follows: pic.twitter.com/UzbKoIkFOc
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2023
Musk’s criticism of yacht-owning billionaires isn’t limited to Zuckerberg: In 2021, he made similar comments about Jeff Bezos, suggesting the Amazon founder should “spend more time at Blue Origin and less time in the hot tub.”
However, it is worth noting that Musk himself is not entirely averse to leisure activities. In July 2022, he was spotted relaxing on a yacht in Mykonos, Greece, with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and his wife. Musk later joked about the incident on social media, commenting, “Hahaha, damn, maybe I should take my shirt off more often…free the nipples!! (By the way, I’m back at the factory now).”
However, Musk has consistently maintained that he dislikes taking vacations, and has shared several anecdotes about vacations coinciding with major business setbacks: On one occasion, Musk claimed that both an Orbital Sciences rocket and one of Richard Branson’s rockets exploded during a week-long vacation, and on another occasion, his own rocket exploded while he was on vacation.
From these experiences, Musk concluded, “The lesson here is, don’t take a week off.”
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
