A sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is slated for release next year, but tech CEOs Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg appear to have their own plans in the works for an Ancient Rome-themed epic showdown. Far from the cage fight initially proposed, Musk’s latest update on the months-long saga unveils Italy as a location, and likely winner, of this battle of egos.
Posting on his platform X, formerly Twitter, Musk excitedly announced on Aug. 11 that he spoke to Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni and the country’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano about having the fight in an “epic location.”
“The fight will be managed by my and Zuck’s foundations (not UFC). Livestream will be on this platform and Meta. Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all. I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture. They have agreed on an epic location,” Musk wrote, adding “Everything done will pay respect to the past and present of Italy” and that “all proceeds go to veterans.”
Musk’s underlined the Ancient Rome-themed announcement with a separate post that read “⚔️ Gladiator ⚔️” and another one quoting a line from the Latin poet Horace, “Dulce est desipere in loco,” a phrase that can be translated as “It’s delightful to act the fool sometimes.”
But Italy’s ministry of culture had a slightly different version of the events. In a statement (link in Italian), Sangiuliano confirmed that he talked to Musk and the two shared a mutual passion for the history of Ancient Rome, but he said the Italian capital won’t be the chosen location for the fight. The statement also highlighted the philanthropic aspect of the event. “A large sum, many millions of euros, are expected to be donated to two paediatric hospitals in Italy for the development of their infrastructures and scientific research about diseases that affect children,” the statement read. “It will also be an opportunity to promote on a global scale our archaeological, artistic, and cultural heritage,” the minister added.
For Musk and Zuckerberg, besides chasing personal glory and bragging rights, there is also the opportunity to use the event to entice more subscribers to their platforms. In response to a follower who asked whether Twitter Blue subscribers would get any perks, such as beyond the scene footage, Musk replied: “Absolutely!” To the victor usually go the spoils, but in this case both billionaires might get something out of it.