They presented it as the clash of the century, they tried to legitimize it by taking the path of charity, it finally revealed itself for what it was from the beginning: a dissing among teenagers on social media. The fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg seems to have come to an end, without a winner. Or maybe not, maybe they both won, because once again, their hunger for egocentrism and megalomania has been satiated. To make things clear, we need to start from a field familiar to them: social media.
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In June, rumours begin to circulate about a possible new social platform branded Meta, like Twitter: the next month will be released precisely Threads, destined to generate millions of followers in a few days. Just this chatter to trigger paranoia in the South African tycoon, who sees his chirping creature in the Meta-hunter’s crosshairs: "I’m sure the Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Mark’s thumb, with no other options." The answers do not hesitate to arrive, someone reminds him to be careful because Zuckerberg practice ju jitsu, turns on the challenge with a few simple words: "I’m up for a cage match if he is lol."
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Even the one that appears the calmest has, as in Italy say, lost the jug. Screenshot of the Facebook tycoon on Instagram, with attached comment: "Send me location". Each in its own digital realm ignites the enthusiasm of millions of followers, who unleash themselves to the sound of memes and reposts. The two seem to agree on only two issues: the meeting will have to be held in Italy, possibly in an arena (the fever of the Roman Empire apparently meandered already in those days); the proceeds will go to charity, or war veterans or an Italian children’s hospital.
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At this point begins the second act of this comedy, and the case to say, Italian. Politicians of all levels and colours nominate their cities to host the fight between billionaires, opponents of the event compete to write the most indignant post; the country, already slowed down by the summer, crystallizes around the match. The land of the bronzes of Riace, the amphitheatre of Benevento, the theatre of ancient Ostia, Pompeii, Taormina... Some people even bother the Arena of Verona or the Colosseum. A joke, right? However, the Prime Minister and Minister of Culture seem to have taken the matter very seriously, so much so that they have had direct contact with Musk himself. It will be the patron of Facebook, in mid-August, to curb the enthusiasm: on Threads closes the practice with a dry "it’s time to move on".
So much noise for nothing: blurred the hype for the meeting, remains the tragicomic side of the story. Some still hope, blowing on the ashes of old posts; others theorize that the meeting took place in secret: a photo, published by Zuckerberg in early October, shows the face of the entrepreneur marked by bruises and scratches. Match gone bad or simple training? They expect new news from social media, because basically, even the most indignant, hope for a hypothetical second round. Maybe between avatars in the metaverse.
Illustration by Gloria Dozio - Acrimònia Studios
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