Meta launches Twitter competitor Threads: Musk and Zuckerberg's years-long personal feud
Original Author: Tim Higgins, Deepa Seetharaman, The Wall Street Journal
Original Compilation: Jaleel, BlockBeats
Editor's Note: On July 4th, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, plans to release a microblogging app called Threads, which is expected to go public on Thursday. The company is looking to leverage its Instagram user base to develop this microblogging app, a strategic move that could help the app gain attention quickly. Earlier reports revealed that Twitter, led by Musk, announced limits on how often users can view tweets over the weekend, causing an uproar among users. Shortly after, Zuckerberg launched a targeted competitor, Threads. Many industry insiders view Zuckerberg's "strike while the iron is hot" attack as the latest manifestation of the long-standing rivalry between him and Musk.
This article was written by The Wall Street Journal on June 23rd, and the following is the translation by BlockBeats:
Looking solely at the standards of billionaires' disputes, the challenge proposed by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg is noteworthy.
The tension between the two has intensified since Musk acquired Twitter last year. Since then, Zuckerberg has found an opportunity to attack his competitor, Twitter, as it has been plagued by dramatic controversies and mistakes under its new owner, Musk. Zuckerberg's latest attack comes from his company, Meta Platforms, which is preparing to create a Twitter-like product based on Instagram.
Although these two moguls may never truly face off on the same stage, their recent outbursts and speculation about whether they will engage in a duel have strengthened their growing competition for business interests and injected new vitality into the battle for social media advertising revenues.
It may be too early to say whether Meta's competition with Twitter can rival epic brand battles of the past century, such as Ford vs. Chevrolet or Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi. However, it is clear that both bosses are prepared for the fight.
Behind the scenes, there has always been deep dissatisfaction between the two, and they occasionally attack each other in public over topics like AI.
According to those who have heard their private complaints, Musk has been struggling financially for years, watching Zuckerberg easily make money with software while he works hard on electric cars and space rockets, which frustrates him. On the other hand, Zuckerberg yearns for the respect people give to Musk as an innovator.
This month, Meta's executives revealed to employees their Twitter competitor, codenamed "Project 92," which they hope to launch soon. According to The Wall Street Journal, Chief Product Officer Chris Cox suggested that the product is inspired by users, aiming to create a "social media platform with operational intelligence," which mocks Musk's company.
Since taking over Twitter at the end of October last year, Musk has faced many challenges in reshaping the company according to his own will, including reduced brand advertising spending, partly due to concerns about the company's future. In response, Musk said he needed to make significant cost reductions, including layoffs, to avoid bankruptcy. Now, he says the company is expected to achieve positive cash flow and has hired a well-known TV advertising executive as CEO to improve relations with advertisers.
Musk has been mocking and provoking Zuckerberg online in response to news reports of Zuckerberg's plans to compete with Twitter. This week, a Twitter user warned Musk, reminding him of Zuckerberg's recent promotion of martial arts.
"If he wants, I can have a match with him, haha," Musk tweeted on Tuesday night. Zuckerberg, who has been training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, responded the next day on Instagram: "Tell me the location."
Musk followed up with another tweet: "If this is true, I will do it." He suggested they have the match in Las Vegas.
Throughout the night, Musk discussed the possibility of their duel on Twitter, including mentioning Zuckerberg reaching the peak of physical condition. A photo from last year showing Musk with a bulkier physique half-naked in the water sparked discussions on Twitter again.
"I have a move called 'the walrus,' where I just lay on the opponent and do nothing," Musk tweeted.
This proposed duel brings to mind the early 1990s when Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines, resolved a business dispute in front of an audience at the Dallas Sports Arena through an arm-wrestling match, which was dubbed "The Malice in Dallas." However, according to the event history on Southwest Airlines' website, the outcome was predetermined.
The public animosity between these two tech giants can be traced back to 2016 when Facebook commissioned Musk's rocket company SpaceX to launch a satellite into space to provide internet access to sub-Saharan Africa. However, a routine test launch resulted in a ground explosion, destroying the rocket and satellite, disrupting Zuckerberg's plans.
"I am deeply disappointed by the SpaceX launch failure and the subsequent loss of our satellite. Our satellite was intended to provide internet connectivity for entrepreneurs and everyone across the African continent," Zuckerberg wrote.
After a year, they again started openly arguing about artificial intelligence (AI), with Musk consistently warning that AI could pose a threat to humanity. During a Facebook Live session while barbecuing at home, Zuckerberg expressed optimism towards AI when asked about it, believing that those who paint a negative and irresponsible doomsday scenario are just fearmongering. Musk responded to this on Twitter, saying "I've discussed this issue with Mark Zuckerberg, and his understanding of the issue is very limited."
In 2018, faced with controversies surrounding Meta's user privacy in the 2016 presidential election and the subsequent #DeleteFacebook movement, Musk shared his viewpoint on Twitter. Both his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, deleted their Facebook accounts. Musk openly expressed his disgust with Facebook on Twitter.
Their discord goes beyond this; both individuals have a history of engaging in heated exchanges with others.
Musk has a rich history of public disputes and frequently uses his Twitter account to provoke other billionaires, including Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett. However, he has never proposed a fight with any of them. However, last year, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, he did suggest a one-on-one duel with Russia's Vladimir Putin, challenging the Russian president to a "duel" on Twitter.
This match never actually took place.
Meta's CEO, Zuckerberg, had a long-standing personal conflict with Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, following Cook's public criticism of Facebook. Since then, Facebook has consistently opposed changes to Apple's privacy settings, which limit social media companies' ability to profit from user data. "We need to inflict pain," Zuckerberg expressed his determination to resist Apple to his team in private.
Musk also expressed dissatisfaction with Apple's strict policies implemented on the App Store, which are crucial for Twitter, the platform he took over, in attracting users. Not long after taking over Twitter, Musk openly expressed his dislike for Apple's high fees imposed through in-app purchases on the App Store.
Cook seems to be trying to ease the tension; he welcomed Musk to Apple's headquarters and took him for a walk around the company's pond.
Users on social media are highly interested in the news of these tech giants possibly engaging in a duel. One Twitter user even suggested that podcast host and UFC commentator Joe Rogan should act as the referee. Musk responded with a fire emoji.
In fact, both billionaires have had interactions with Rogan. Last year, Zuckerberg discussed the similarities between business and mixed martial arts on Rogan's podcast. "Jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, they make you understand the flow and momentum of things, and I think business is the same way," he said. "The hardest part is knowing when to persist." He also bragged about his extreme physical fitness routine and his participation in his first jiu-jitsu competition.
While Musk leans towards a sedentary lifestyle. He sees fasting and weight loss pills as means of losing weight, openly expressing his love for donuts and Diet Coke. The electric car and space rocket billionaire was caught on Logan's podcast using illicit substances.
Musk's exercise regimen is quite interesting, "I hardly ever exercise, except to pick up and throw my kids in the air," he wrote in a tweet on Wednesday. In fact, Musk also has a history of failed hand-to-hand combat, experiencing neck and back pain from a wrestling match with a sumo wrestler.
As speculation about a potential duel between him and Zuckerberg heats up, Musk's mother, Maye, is calling for both to cool down. "I'm not joking," she wrote in a tweet on Thursday. "You can only sit in armchairs, keep a 4-foot distance, and battle with words. The most interesting person wins."
