A modern-day gladiator matchup between tech moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg could be on the horizon as Italy extends a remarkable invitation for the two billionaires to battle it out at Rome’s iconic Colosseum.
Elon Musk made the online world go crazy on June 20 when he publicly challenged Mark Zuckerberg to compete. Zuckerberg swiftly responded by accepting the invitation and inquiring about the scheduling details, igniting global excitement and speculation about the event.
TMZ Sports reported that the Italian government had invited both Musk and Zuckerberg, urging them to choose the 2000-year-old Colosseum as the venue for their head-to-head confrontation.
This isn’t too far out there considering Zuckerberg’s fixation with the Roman empire.
Mark Zuckerberg’s haircut, resembling the “Caesar” style, has drawn fascination. His wife, Priscilla Chan, even had to learn how to maintaining his hair during the pandemic. Zuckerberg’s admiration for Augustus Caesar is evident, as he and Chan went to Rome for their honeymoon and named one of their daughters August.
Gennaro Sangiuliano is the Minister of Culture in Italy. He personally reached out to Musk and Zuckerberg to propose staging their much-anticipated bout at this historic landmark, which stands as one of the seven wonders of the world.
Both billionaires eagerly embraced the idea and reportedly forwarded the invitation to UFC president Dana White. White’s representatives swiftly contacted the Italian Minister to explore the possibilities.
The Colosseum hasn’t staged a major event in hundreds of years. The ancient amphitheatre now lies in ruins and can only accommodate a few hundred spectators in temporary seating arrangements.
Despite Italian media reports suggesting the Italian government’s denial of offering the Colosseum as a venue, Elon Musk fueled the ongoing speculation with a recent tweet.
Musk continued to build anticipation for the clash by quoting the iconic character General Maximus, played by Russell Crowe in the popular film ‘Gladiator’. Maximus famously rallied his troops with the memorable words, “What we do in life, echoes in eternity.”
If the Colosseum indeed becomes the venue for Musk vs Zuckerberg, it would mark a historic milestone. Once a grand arena with a seating capacity of 50,000, the Colosseum now primarily hosts concerts rather than battles.