The gloves are (about to be) off: Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg show no signs of backing down from their commitment to a supposed cage fight.
Rumours of a fight between the Twitter owner and the boss of Meta have been swirling for weeks.
But how did the idea start, is the fight actually going to happen – and who might win if it does?
Be careful what you tweet – it might just come true
The spiralling plans for a bare knuckle fight between the tech billionaires started with an offhand remark from Musk.
Amid a discussion about plans for Threads, Meta’s rival Twitter app, Musk tweeted, “I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb”, and followed up with “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol.”
Zuckerberg took the bait. “Send me location” he posted on Instagram alongside a screenshot of Musk’s message.
Musk responded simply: “Vegas Octagon”, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arena in Las Vegas.
“Both guys are absolutely dead serious about this,” he told TMZ Live.
Mr White has been in regular contact with the pair and an outline of plans is being drawn up, according to a report by the New York Times.
He told the newspaper it would be an exhibition match, outside official UFC jurisdiction, and would have some kind of charity element.
“It will be the biggest fight in the history of combat sports,” he said.
What fighting experience do they have?
Zuckerberg outstrips Musk when it comes to experience. The Facebook founder has taken up jiu-jitsu and won gold and silver medals in his first ever tournament.
Musk has previously admitted he rarely works out “except for picking up my kids and throwing them in the air”.
“I have this great move that I call ‘The Walrus’, where I just lie on top of my opponent and do nothing,” Musk tweeted.
Zuckerberg seems to be the natural choice for a winner. As well as jiu-jitsu training, he has taken on fitness challenges including the “Murph” which involves doing hundreds of squats, push-ups and pull-ups while wearing a weighted vest.
At 39, he is also 13 years younger than Musk, who is 52.
Where Musk dominates is size. He is around 6ft 1in to Zuckerberg’s 5ft 7ins and 13st 5lb to his 11st – a difference of several weight classes.
Musk has said he trained in judo, kyokushin – a style of karate – and no rules street fighting, but admitted this was “very dated”.
Image: Pic: AP
What’s all this about the Colosseum?
Musk set the hearts of Gladiator fans racing when he suggested the fight could happen in the home of gladiatorial contests.
“Some chance fight happens in the Colosseum,” he tweeted.
The Italian Ministry of Culture had absolutely 100% offered the 2000-year-old Roman amphitheatre, if a report by TMS Sports was to be believed.
It wasn’t, according to the Italian government, who told the outlet there had been no formal contact “even if the news appears tasty”.
The ministry reportedly added: “If Zuckerberg and Musk wanted to perform in the Colosseum they would have to make a non-violent challenge.”
Elon Musk has said the time he spends with Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will “drop significantly” from May and he will allocate more time to Tesla.
It comes after first-quarter profits at Tesla sank as the company grapples with falling sales, partly due to President Trump’s tariffs.
As a special government employee, Mr Musk was limited to 130 days in his role at DOGE, which is primarily aimed at slashing federal spending.
But the cuts, which included axing government jobs, have divided the country and prompted a backlash against his company, including protests and attacks on Tesla showrooms, prompting Donald Trump to label the vandals “terrorists”.
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‘Elon Musk has got to go’
Tesla said on Tuesday that quarterly profits fell by 71% to $409m (£306.77m) from $1.39bn (£1.04bn) in the first quarter of 2024. Revenues were also well below forecasts, dropping 9% to $19.3bn (£14.5bn) between January and March.
The company’s value has plummeted since reaching a record high in mid-December. Since then, Tesla’s share price has fallen more than 50%.
Tesla’s share price has tumbled following the financial market turbulence caused by the global trade war tariffs, competition from Chinese EV rivals and concern over Mr Musk’s ability to give the firm the attention it requires.
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Mr Musk’s role as chief executive of the company was among the most common questions shareholders were asking about in a question-and-answer portal ahead of an investor call on Tuesday evening.
As well as his role at the top of Tesla, he is also the CEO of space exploration company SpaceX and owns social media company X, formerly known as Twitter.
Image: Donald Trump hired Elon Musk to help cut federal spending, but Tesla has faced a public backlash. Pic: AP
Musk has ‘lost focus’
An early Tesla investor Ross Gerber said in a recent interview with Sky’s Business Live that Mr Musk had lost his focus and was now too “divisive”.
There has been no clear sign of improvement at Tesla as much-awaited updates on making affordable cars and developing driverless technology left some questions unanswered.
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‘I think Tesla needs a new CEO’
Work on an affordable car remained “on track for start of production in the first half of 2025”, Tesla’s financial results said, but no details on a prototype were given.
Production of Tesla’s self-driving robotaxi, named Cybercab, is scheduled to start in 2026.
Tariffs harming outlook
Uncertainty was also evident in the outlook statement, which pointed to the harm tariffs could pose to the business.
“It is difficult to measure the impacts of shifting global trade policy on the automotive and energy supply chains, our cost structure and demand for durable goods and related services,”
“The rate of growth this year will depend on a variety of factors, including the rate of acceleration of our autonomy efforts, production ramp at our factories and the broader macroeconomic environment”.
While Teslas are made in the US, there are also factories in China and Germany. Under the tariff regime, those car parts are subject to additional taxes when they enter America.
The new owner of WH Smith’s high street arm is drawing up plans which could result in the closure of nearly a quarter of the stores operated by Hobbycraft, the arts and crafts chain.
Sky News has learnt that Modella Capital, a private investment firm which specialises in taking over troubled retailers, is preparing to launch a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) at Hobbycraft as soon as Wednesday.
People close to the proposals said that nine of its shops would be closed, with the loss of roughly 100 jobs, and that 18 more would remain open only if negotiations with landlords over rent cuts concluded successfully.
A further 97 stores will remain unaffected by the CVA, the people added, protecting 1,800 jobs.
If the talks with landlords do not progress as envisaged and the 18 affected stores are also earmarked for closure, at least 150 more redundancies could be triggered based on Hobbycraft’s average number of employees per store.
Some job losses are also expected at the company’s head office and distribution operations, according to insiders.
The Hobbycraft CVA is expected to be launched shortly before Modella also pursues a restructuring at The Original Factory Shop (TOFS), the discount chain it acquired just two months ago.
One industry source speculated that as many as between 30 and 40 TOFS outlets could close, resulting in hundreds more layoffs.
The dual restructuring processes will raise questions about whether Modella plans a similar cull of shops and workers at WH Smith, which it has said will be renamed TG Jones following the takeover.
In a statement, a Modella spokesman said: “Modella Capital is absolutely committed to bricks and mortar retail, at a time when the sector is coming under increasing pressure.
“[Modella] understands that high streets provide a vital service to consumers, are an essential source of employment and are key to the future success of local economies.
“Modella Capital believes that many retailers can thrive on the high street; particularly those with a distinctive offer and a loyal customer base.
“Where necessary, Modella Capital has the skills and experience to restructure retailers that require it, in order to ensure they create profitable, ongoing businesses that will continue to serve communities and employ thousands of people across the UK.”
FRP, the professional services firm, is overseeing the Hobbycraft CVA, while Interpath Advisory is working on the equivalent process at TOFS.
CVAs – a widely used tool in the retail and hospitality sectors in recent years – are frequently utilised to facilitate store closures and rent cuts from landlords.
Modella bought Hobbycraft, which was founded in 1995, from the private equity firm Bridgepoint last summer.
Rachel Reeves will pledge to “stand up for Britain’s national interest” as she heads to Washington DC amid hopes of a UK/US trade deal.
The chancellor will fly to the US capital for her spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the first of which began on Sunday.
During her three-day visit, Ms Reeves is set to hold meetings with G7, G20 and IMF counterparts about the changing global economy and is expected to make the case for open trade.
The chancellor will also hold her first in-person meeting with her US counterpart, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, about striking a new trade agreement, which the UK hopes will take the sting out of Mr Trump’s tariffs.
In addition to the 10% levy on all goods imported to America from the UK, Mr Trump enacted a 25% levy on car imports.
Ms Reeves will also be hoping to encourage fellow European finance ministers to increase their defence spending and discuss the best ways to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Speaking ahead of her visit, Ms Reeves said: “The world has changed, and we are in a new era of global trade. I am in no doubt that the imposition of tariffs will have a profound impact on the global economy and the economy at home.
“This changing world is unsettling for families who are worried about the cost of living and businesses concerned about what tariffs will mean for them. But our task as a government is not to be knocked off course or to take rash action which risks undermining people’s security.
“Instead, we must rise to meet the moment and I will always act to defend British interests as part of our plan for change.
“We need a world economy that provides stability and fairness for businesses wanting to invest and trade, more trade and global partnerships between nations with shared interests, and security for working people who want to get on with their lives.”