'I Prefer to Work:' Elon Musk Takes Jab at Mark Zuckerberg for Enjoying the 4th of July Holiday

Tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg continue their public rivalry, with Musk criticizing Zuckerberg’s Independence Day celebrations, sourly stating, “I prefer to work.”

Business Insider reports that the ongoing feud between tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has taken a new turn, with Musk throwing shade at Zuckerberg’s recent Fourth of July celebration video. The Meta CEO posted a clip of himself hydrofoiling while dressed in a tuxedo, waving an American flag, and sipping beer, captioning it “Happy birthday, America!” Musk, however, was not impressed by the patriotic display.

In response to Zuckerberg’s video, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disapproval. “May he continue to have fun on his yachts. I prefer to work,” Musk wrote, implying a contrast between their work ethics and priorities.

This latest exchange is just one in a series of public spats between the two tech moguls. Their rivalry gained significant attention in June 2023 when Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a cage match following reports of Meta developing a competitor to X. While Zuckerberg initially seemed open to the idea, the proposed fight never materialized, leading to further taunts from Musk.

On Zuckerberg’s 40th birthday, Musk reiterated his challenge, stating, “If only Zuckerberg were as tough (sigh). I’ve offered to fight him any place, any time, any rules, but all I hear is crickets.” However, Zuckerberg has claimed that Musk was never serious about the fight after making excuses of various health condition which may prevent the fight going ahead.

“We can all agree Elon isn’t serious,” Zuckerberg stated, referencing Musk’s reluctance to finalize a date for the match and his suggestion of a mere “practice round” in his backyard. This revelation came to light through shared screenshots of text exchanges between the two tech moguls. In these messages, Musk proposed a “practice bout” at Zuckerberg’s residence, to which Zuckerberg responded, advising Musk to train for a “real MMA fight” and to reach out once he’s “ready to compete.”

Musk’s criticism of yacht-owning billionaires isn’t limited to Zuckerberg. In 2021, he made similar remarks about Jeff Bezos, suggesting that the Amazon founder should spend “more time at Blue Origin and less time in the hot tub.”

However, it’s worth noting that Musk himself is not entirely averse to leisure activities. In July 2022, he was spotted relaxing on a yacht in Mykonos, Greece, with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and his wife. Musk later joked about the incident on social media, saying, “Haha damn, maybe I should take off my shirt more often … free the nip!! (already back in the factory btw).”

However, Musk has consistently maintained that he dislikes taking time off. He has shared several anecdotes about how vacations have coincided with significant setbacks in his businesses. In one instance, Musk claimed that during a week-long break, both an Orbital Sciences rocket and Richard Branson’s rocket exploded. On another occasion, his own rocket suffered an explosion during his time off.

These experiences have led Musk to conclude, “The lesson here is, don’t take a week off.”