Elon Musk has accepted an ostensible challenge to fight from Venezuela’s contested new president, Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro, who has been the president of the South American country since 2013, proclaimed a victory despite independent exit polls indicating that his opponent, Edmundo González, won in a landslide.
Following riots and protests across the country, Musk used his platform to criticize and insult Maduro on Monday.
The billionaire reposted a video of Maduro’s poster being removed and commented, “The people of Venezuela have had enough of this clown.”
In subsequent posts, Musk accused Maduro of election fraud and referred to the outcome as a “travesty.” The X owner cited a post that included data from Edison research indicating that 65 percent of voters opted for González and only 31 percent voted for Maduro.
In an apparent response to Musk’s provocations on X, Maduro slammed the billionaire during a press conference.
“Elon Musk, you’re desperate, you’ve made a mistake, control yourself,” Maduro said, warning Musk that anyone who contends with him or his country “goes dry.”
“Elon Musk, do you want a fight? Let's give it a shot, I'm ready, I'm the son of Bolívar and Chávez. I'm not afraid of you, but Venezuela is respected. We do not accept interventionism from anyone,” he added.
Musk reposted a video of Maduro’s comments with a statement in Spanish that translates to “the donkey knows more than Maduro.”
When serial entrepreneur Mario Nawfal asked, “Who had a Maduro vs Elon Fight on their 2024 Bingo Card?” in a Wednesday X post, Musk replied, “I accept.” I accept
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2024
In a second reply, the X owner said, Maduro “will chicken out.”
Though it was somewhat unclear whether Maduro’s mentioning of a fight with Musk was literal or figurative, the billionaire entrepreneur has famously challenged other major figures to a fight.
In June of last year, Musk challenged Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to a “cage fight.”
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White held late-night calls with the tech industry giants after Zuckerberg asked White if Musk was serious.
“They both want to do it,” White learned, according to The New York Times.
“If the matchup between Mr. Musk, 52, and Mr. Zuckerberg, 39, goes ahead, it would be a rare spectacle, even in the braggadocio-filled universe of the tech industry,” the outlet reported. “But two wildly wealthy tech titans grappling, punching and kicking in a Las Vegas or Roman arena? No one would have dreamed it.”
In March of 2022, Musk challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to a “single combat” in which the “stakes are Ukraine.”
When Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov warned Musk that he and Putin are in different weight classes, the billionaire replied, "If he is afraid to fight, I will agree to use only my left hand and I am not even left-handed.”
He also said additional training would offer him “too much of an advantage,” Business Insider reported at the time.
