What will Musk and Zuckerberg do in Italy?
Everything (or almost) on the alleged fight between Musk and Zuckerberg which will take place – it seems – in Italy. Enrico Ferrone's italics
There was an immediate uproar as soon as word got around of a plan for a physical duel to be perpetrated on the ferie augustae ; an event defined as epic for two great protagonists of the world economy. Between Mark Zuckerberg, ranked eighth among the richest in the world, and Elon Musk, the richest of the rich. An entrepreneur and an industrialist who are separated by 13 years of age (Zuckerberg is 39, Musk is 52) and who could soon come to blows. At least according to the chirps that spread over the air.
It has not been stated exactly which type of competition will have to be attended, for those who wish to attend, but apparently it will be something very demanding, a melee that will recall the ancient ferocity of the Roman gladiators.
A clash that would have taken place in the Colosseum, the Flavian Amphitheater where blood, dust and unbridled cries insulted any regurgitation of civilization in the land of law in ancient Rome.
No, the Italian minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, on the phone with the South African captain of industry, ruled it out!
Probably because it is not known who would get the lion's share and who would deserve the role of Christian to be killed, in an arena that has already seen too many bloodied bodies. So nothing to do in Rome, where there is already a daily struggle with uncontrolled traffic, old and new rubbish accumulated outside the municipal bins and chasms always lurking in the streets and squares where history was made.
But let's go back to the two notable tycoons from overseas. The first question imagined by observers after the tweet posted by the chairman of recoverable space launchers was what Elon Musk really meant with his sentences last June: "I'm ready for a fight in the cage if he feels like it". Concluding with a loving lots of love! The owner of Meta to whom it was directed – i.e. Facebook – did not immediately reply to the provocation but then squeaked: «Send me the position» and only a couple of days ago he added: «If there is, you will know from me».
What type of struggle is not known and one must ask oneself given that Pompeii, Taormina, Verona, the whole of Calabria and even Paris would also be candidates to host this challenge.
Let's forget the location which once again declares the weak coordination of our beautiful country for every initiative that can shed some light on its province. But basically we are serene because it will be a minister better known as a gaffeur than for the initiatives undertaken since he sits on the highest chair of Culture to deal with it and settle the dispute. The best will win. Unless the Elysium also has its nose in it, which seems to want to do as usual assopigliatutto!
Of course the newspapers go crazy. There is talk of a physical confrontation between a middle-aged martial arts lover and an amateur athlete on the threshold of the "door" and a lover of Brazilian fights. But perhaps, as we more naively believe, the whole media event will be reduced to a competition between two virtual platforms. The challenge, whatever it is – as far as we know – will be managed by the foundations owned by the contenders and since it is assumed that the event could be attended, as well as in presence, by hundreds of millions of people online, the estimated proceeds are approximately one billion of dollars. A good handful would be destined for the place that will mark the territory. Pecunia non olet, (money doesn't stink) to stay with the "latinorum" and remember that during his reign the emperor Titus Caesar Vespasian set a tax, the centesima venalium , on urine collected in road latrines.
Certainly Musk usually pushes himself with threats of muscular fights: overcoming all diplomatic foreclosures and the disruptive power of weapons, a bit like the legendary challenge between Orazi and Curiazi and all too sure of his global omnipotence, he threw the gauntlet from his social network even to entire post-communist Russia at the time of the 2022 invasion with very blatant messages: «I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to a martial arts fight. Up for grabs is Ukraine» and another directly to the head of the Kremlin: «Do you agree with this fight?».
If this is really the case, we would really not believe it and leave the conclusions to the reader. But what conclusions? Is it possible that two tycoons of American private entrepreneurship, two characters who have changed many destinies of the world, can really get to lead themselves in front of the world out of bravado or perhaps boredom? And for what reason – Roman history aside – would Italy have been chosen as a place of confrontation, having also interested Prime Minister Meloni for this?
But what kind of world is this where we are living? And above all, what will be written in the history books on which the new generations will virtually or actually have to study?
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/musk-zuckerberg-combattimento-italia/ on Mon, 14 Aug 2023 05:53:30 +0000.