Musk and Zuckerberg have been locked in a highly publicized ‘feud’ for years. It all started years ago when Zuck’s comment on a SpaceX launch failure seemed to strike a nerve with Musk. From that point on, they have consistently exchanged public jabs with each other. The true motivation behind this ongoing conflict remains unclear, but it appears that their colossal egos cannot tolerate anyone else in a position of power mocking them.
If we explore the background of the year 2016/17, we encounter a heart-wrenching incident: a SpaceX rocket carrying a Facebook satellite exploded on the launch pad, representing a significant and preventable mistake. During the preflight checks, the satellite remained attached to the rocket, an unnecessary oversight. This tragic event led to the irrevocable loss of a valuable satellite and the unfortunate cancellation of Facebook’s satellite internet plans for Africa.
Subsequently, SpaceX implemented a revised operating procedure, ensuring that the satellite is installed after completing the preflight checks. The incident caused frustration due to the preventable nature of the loss, and one can only imagine the heated arguments that may have unfolded between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
There are a number of events that unfolded subsequently, leading to the feud between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. A few months back, Musk jokingly threw down the gauntlet and challenged Zuck to a cage match. To everyone’s surprise, Zuck accepted the challenge. However, Musk quickly retracted his offer, citing his own middle-aged physique and Zuck’s reputed prowess in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. Speculation aside, it’s reasonable to assume that Musk recognized the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome and wisely chose to avoid the confrontation.
Twitter recently introduced limitations on the number of tweets users can view, or something along those lines. In response, Meta launched a new platform called ‘Threads,’ which has led to Musk reportedly filing a lawsuit.
The tweet limiting is unrelated to the aforementioned issues. Musk stated that the purpose was to prevent bots from scraping Twitter for data without payment, but rumors suggest that Musk failed to pay his Google Cloud hosting bills, which compelled him to migrate from the platform swiftly. The tweet limit was implemented to ensure Twitter’s stability during the migration. However, the limits have since been lifted.
The launch of Threads is likely a strategic move by Mark Zuckerberg to capitalize on market opportunities. With Twitter facing challenges since Musk assumed leadership, many users have expressed discontent with the platform’s direction. Zuckerberg appears to perceive an opportunity to leverage the Instagram user base and introduce a compelling alternative to Twitter, appealing to those dissatisfied with its current state.
One of the to understand is that the legal issues surrounding ‘Threads’ are still in their early stages. Musk has accused Zuck of hiring former Twitter employees, whom Musk had previously laid off, and leveraging their insider knowledge of Twitter to develop Threads.
Zuck, on the other hand, claims that none of the ex-Twitter hires were involved in the Threads project. The extent to which this could potentially breach non-compete agreements or NDAs remains unclear, as the legal considerations can vary depending on factors such as termination circumstances, state laws, compensation upon termination, and more. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold.
