Italy: Who will host Musk-Zuckerberg showdown

Rome: Italian towns, cities and regions are vying to host the potential fight between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

From the plains of northern Italy to the rocky coasts of Sicily, local governments across the peninsula are battling it out to see who will host the eventual showdown between billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

Although the two ultra-rich personalities have yet to agree if the fight will even occur, this uncertainty has not stopped Italian towns and cities from showing off their archaeological sites to the world stage.

Musk and Zuckerberg have been bantering back and forth on X for nearly two months about the possibility of a cage-fight type match between the two. The idea first started in June when Musk asserted “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol.” To which Zuckerberg responded by saying “send me location.”

The idea of the fight taking place at an “epic location” in Italy was proposed by Musk, who later said he discussed the idea with Italian prime minster Giorgia Meloni and the minister of culture Gennaro Sangiuliano.

On 11 August, the Italian ministry of culture released a statement by Sangiuliano explaining that he had an amicable conversation with Musk and they were working on how to organize the event while “respecting and fully protecting the places” where the match would be held.

Sangiuliano also explained that a large donation would be made to two Italian paediatric hospitals as a gift. It was not clear the precise amount of the donation or who exactly would be donating it, but the minister of culture mentioned “many millions of Euros”.

Sangiuliano excluded the Colosseum from hosting the match, which kickstarted a deluge of proposals from more than half a dozen Italian cities and towns with ancient amphitheatres.