- Threads vs. Twitter: Zuckerberg’s Meta launched Threads, which quickly surpassed records for online platform growth, reaching 100 million users in just five days. This has impacted Twitter’s traffic significantly.
- Cage Match Proposal: Musk proposed a cage match on June 20 in response to a tweet about Twitter’s upcoming rival. Zuckerberg responded on Instagram, leading to ongoing public disses between the two.
- Legal Threats: After the launch of Threads, Twitter threatened Meta with legal action, accusing it of being a “copycat” app.
Political Contributions and Lobbying
- Mark Zuckerberg:
- Personal Contributions: Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have donated at least $159,600 to federal candidates and committees since 2011.
- Political Leanings: Of the $41,200 Zuckerberg gave directly to candidates and party committees since the 2012 election cycle, 62% went to Democratic causes. Chan has also predominantly supported Democratic candidates.
- Significant Donations: Chan’s largest political contribution was $750,000 to fight California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall in 2021. Zuckerberg’s largest was $1 million to a FWD.us California ballot measure committee before the 2016 election.
- Elon Musk:
- Personal Contributions: Musk has donated $725,750 in federal contributions from 2004 to 2020, with an average of $80,639 per election cycle.
- Political Leanings: Of the $688,350 that went directly to federal candidates and party committees, 50.1% went to Republican causes. His ex-wife Justine Musk, however, donated predominantly to Democratic causes while they were married.
- Top Recipient: The National Republican Congressional Committee has received $246,800 from Musk since 2004.
- Personal Contributions: Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have donated at least $159,600 to federal candidates and committees since 2011.
- Political Leanings: Of the $41,200 Zuckerberg gave directly to candidates and party committees since the 2012 election cycle, 62% went to Democratic causes. Chan has also predominantly supported Democratic candidates.
- Significant Donations: Chan’s largest political contribution was $750,000 to fight California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall in 2021. Zuckerberg’s largest was $1 million to a FWD.us California ballot measure committee before the 2016 election.
- Personal Contributions: Musk has donated $725,750 in federal contributions from 2004 to 2020, with an average of $80,639 per election cycle.
- Political Leanings: Of the $688,350 that went directly to federal candidates and party committees, 50.1% went to Republican causes. His ex-wife Justine Musk, however, donated predominantly to Democratic causes while they were married.
- Top Recipient: The National Republican Congressional Committee has received $246,800 from Musk since 2004.
Company PACs and Interest Groups
Meta:
- Employee Contributions: Combined contributions from Meta employees and the Meta PAC have skewed heavily toward Democratic causes since 2016.
- Meta PAC: The Meta PAC itself leans slightly conservative, giving 53% of its contributions to Republicans during the 2022 election cycle.
Musk’s Companies:
- SpaceX: Musk has donated $30,000 to SpaceX’s corporate PAC.
This rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg is multifaceted, involving not just their companies but also their political influence and contributions.
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