--- title: "Terrified Elon Musk Suggests “Debate” With Zuckerberg Instead of Cage Fight" description: "Elon Musk has already come up with plenty of excuses to wriggle out of sparring with Mark Zuckerberg. Now he wants to have a \"noble\" debate." date: "2023-08-10" modified: "2023-08-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-debate-zuckerberg-instead-fight" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "mark zuckerberg" - "the digest" --- # Terrified Elon Musk Suggests “Debate” With Zuckerberg Instead of Cage Fight ![Elon Musk has already come up with plenty of excuses to wriggle out of sparring with Mark Zuckerberg. Now he wants to have a "noble" debate.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## ExcuseX X-formerly-Twitter owner Elon Musk is desperately trying to get out of [sparring with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg](). Musk has already come up with [plenty of excuses]() to wriggle out of a fight with his rival, such as [claiming he needs to have surgery](). Now, Musk has come up with an even sadder suggestion: he wants to have a "noble" debate with Zuckerberg, instead of the hand-to-hand combat that seems to be causing him increasing terror. "That sounds like a good idea too," he [tweeted]() in response to TED curator Chris Anderson, who [proposed]() a "cage match DEBATE" titled "How to build an amazing future." "No holds barred," Anderson wrote. "Except actual holds." "This is really fighting as (I believe) a noble sport," Musk [wrote]() in response. "We also hope, with humility, to express our admiration for those who have fought before for noble causes." It doesn't take much to read between the lines: Musk, who's in his 50s, is absolutely terrified of fighting Zuckerberg, a [noted hobbyist fighter]() in his [physical prime](). ## Words Fight Last week, Zuckerberg was ready to throw down right then and there. "I'm ready today," he wrote in a [Threads post](), replying to a [tweet]() in which Musk claimed to be "lifting weights throughout the day, preparing for the fight." "I suggested Aug 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn't confirmed," Zuckerberg wrote. "Not holding my breath." The Meta CEO also took aim at Musk's [suggestion]() to live stream the "Zuck v Musk fight" on X, with proceeds going to "charity for veterans." Zuckerberg wasn't convinced, [shooting back]() over the weekend that they should "use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity." Musk seems mildly hopeful about his chances of winning against Zuckerberg, who has actual experience when it comes to fighting, and isn't just [hefting dumbbells in the workplace](). "If the fight is short, I probably win," Musk [pondered](). "If long, he may win on endurance." Endurance certainly won't be Musk's strong suit. According to him, he weighs [almost twice as much]() as Zuckerberg and has [copped to questionable lifestyle habits](). **More on the fight:** *[Elon Musk Already Making Excuses Ahead of Fight With Zuckerberg]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()