In the ever-changing realm of technology, Mark Zuckerberg’s reputation is undergoing a transformation, and it’s largely due to the unpredictable antics of Elon Musk. The on-and-off rivalry between Musk and the creator of Facebook has escalated with the launch of Threads, Meta’s new app that resembles Twitter. This has led to a lawsuit from Musk against Zuckerberg and a series of provocative and vulgar tweets. Andrew Selepak, an assistant media professor at the University of Florida, noted the uniqueness of this grudge match between two incredibly wealthy individuals but also called out Musk for his childish behavior.
To fully understand the blow-by-blow account of their feud, one must delve into the complexities of social media. It all began on Threads when fast-food chain Wendy’s playfully teased Musk, and Zuckerberg responded with a laughing emoji. This provoked Musk, who used a derogatory term often embraced by the far-right to insult Zuckerberg and proposed a rather immature “dick measuring contest.”
Zuckerberg, however, has chosen to ignore the provocations, although he hasn’t always remained completely detached. Just weeks ago, he jokingly offered to engage in a cage fight with Musk. And following the release of Threads, Zuckerberg made his first appearance on Twitter in over a decade, sharing a popular meme of Spider-Man pointing at another Spider-Man as a subtle acknowledgement of the similarities between Facebook and Twitter. With his dedication to martial arts and the care he shows for his young daughters, Zuckerberg now portrays a calmer and wiser figure in the world of big tech, while still delivering substantial profits. As he emphasized on the Lex Fridman podcast, learning is a process that entails accepting failure and not being deterred by embarrassment.
Memories of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Zuckerberg’s confrontations with US lawmakers have started to fade. Even the failure of the virtual reality endeavor, which resulted in significant financial losses and the termination of numerous employees, has lost its prominence in the news. However, it is Musk’s antics that have played a pivotal role in rehabilitating Facebook’s founder. Tech industry analyst Rob Enderle stated that Musk’s attacks have inadvertently improved Zuckerberg’s public image.
Threads was recently released to Instagram’s massive user base of 2.3 billion people, with over 100 million already signing up. Interestingly, those who have expressed concerns about Facebook’s data tracking and personal information harvesting have also praised Threads. Like its parent company, Meta, Threads currently does not show any advertisements, but users are required to grant permission for extensive tracking across the internet. This has postponed the app’s launch in Europe due to new regulations restricting Meta’s data sharing abilities.
Carolina Milanesi, an industry observer, recognizes the profit-driven nature of companies like Meta, which she understands to some extent, compared to Twitter, which she views as being driven solely by the egotism of a wealthy individual with questionable ethical values.
While blood feuds within the tech industry are not uncommon, such as the infamous battles between Steve Jobs of Apple and Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, this particular feud between Musk and Zuckerberg has reached unprecedented levels. Enderle remarked that the situation is simply bonkers, surpassing even the wild stories surrounding the conflicts of the late 1990s.
Overall, Mark Zuckerberg’s reputation is being reshaped, with the help of Musk’s provocative behavior, presenting him as a composed and successful figure in the tech world.
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