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The clash between billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg is less a contest and more a study in contrasts. With his recent purchase of Twitter, Musk has cemented his status not just as a risk-taker, but also as a major player in the tech industry, willing to put everything on the line for his beliefs.
Meanwhile, Facebook’s Zuckerberg seems increasingly like a caricature. Remember how Zuckerberg relentlessly pushed for a “cage match,” while Elon Musk seemed to be enjoying the spectacle, perhaps even subtly poking fun at Zuck? In so many ways, their dynamic mirrors the current GOP political primary, where Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are vying for influence. Trump, like Musk, has a natural swagger, while DeSantis struggles to make a connection with people despite numerous image reboots. In the same way, Zuckerberg continually falls short when it comes to capturing the public’s imagination, revealing a social disconnect that’s actually painfully uncomfortable to watch.
Mark Zuckerberg has been trying to make himself cool again — and more relevant to a tech elite taken with the online antagonism and offline antics of Elon Musk.
Over the past year, Zuckerberg has appeared on podcasts hosted by provocateur Joe Rogan and AI researcher Lex Fridman, both popular among fans of Twitter owner Musk. He has posted sweaty action shots on Instagram displaying his jujitsu skills. And this week, he accepted Musk’s challenge to a cage fight after news reports on Meta creating a Twitter competitor. The pair have agreed to fight at the “Vegas Octagon,” an Ultimate Fighting Championship arena, although it’s unclear if and when it will take place.
The strategy to pitch Zuckerberg as visionary innovator to a tech-savvy audience losing its enthusiasm for his social media empire has been years in the making, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters. But Zuckerberg has really ramped it up over the past year, one of the people said, courting the same “tech bros” who have been captivated by Musk — who is suddenly Zuckerberg’s competition in more ways than one.
As Meta struggles with layoffs and its so far unrealized dreams of the metaverse, “I think Mark is also getting a feeling that he is not respected,” said Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at Tufts University’s Fletcher School. The cage match was “a way for him to show that, ‘Look, he is edgy. He can be a tech bro just like the next guy.’”
Mark Zuckerberg often comes off as a detached “lizard alien.” Despite trying to present himself as a relatable “man of the people,” Zuck frequently appears out of touch and robotic. The Post piece goes on:
Zuckerberg has turned to Instagram to try to promote that edgier image. Three weeks ago, he posted a selfie sporting a camouflaged vest, announcing that he had just completed the “Murph challenge,” a popular exercise challenge that requires a heavy dose of running, pull-ups, push-ups and squats while wearing a 20-pound weighted pack.
Jujitsu, within the last couple of years, has also taken top billing. After it was reported that Zuckerberg was choked unconscious during one of his matches, the CEO contacted the New York Times to deny that it happened, according to the newspaper.
In 2021, he posted a video of himself hover-boarding with an American flag on July 4. “These founders … are wanting to drive their story directly,” said Brooke Hammerling, a public relations consultant for technology companies. “The CEO story can become bigger than the company itself.”
While Zuckerberg and Musk share many traits as tech CEOs, their public images have diverged from each other in recent years.
Some people just naturally have that magnetic “it” factor that draws people in, and Elon Musk is a prime example. He’s engaging, humorous, and effortlessly cool. On the other hand, Mark Zuckerberg seems to lack this quality. He comes off as awkward and uncomfortable, even when he’s the center of attention. It’s this stark difference in personal appeal that shapes their public images: Musk as the “cool rebel,” and Zuckerberg as someone who just can’t quite capture the public’s imagination.
Elon’s purchase of Twitter is already paying off big dividends — not necessarily in cash flow (yet), but it’s certainly boosted his status as an icon and taken his cool factor to a new level. This happened because Elon picked the right side, both literally and figuratively. Aligning yourself with the regime and following government orders never earns you “cool” points, it just makes you look like a conformist and a puppet. Elon is the “cool rebel,” while Zuckerberg comes off as the FBI’s chew toy, unable to even stand up for his customers rights and privacy. And no amount of jiu-jitsu classes will ever change that damning perception.
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