• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechElon Musk

Elon Musk’s ex says a cage fight with Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg will be good for his masculinity

Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 9, 2023, 7:08 AM ET
Grimes and Elon Musk attend "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & the Catholic Imagination", the 2018 Costume Institute Benefit at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City.
Grimes, who now goes by the moniker C, says Elon Musk having a cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg could be a good thing for the Tesla CEO. Taylor Hill—Getty Images

Elon Musk’s ex-partner Grimes isn’t looking forward to seeing the Tesla tycoon go head-to-head with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Recommended Video

Yet the Canadian singer—who now goes by the moniker of C—believes taking part in the bout will nonetheless be a healthy way of channeling his aggression and prove a valuable experience for the father of her two children.

In an interview with Wired published this week, the musician admitted she would prefer the fight, for which an actual date has not been set, didn‘t happen in the first place.

“But it’s not going to cause brain damage, so actually I think this is good,” she added. “Dudes need some outlet for trad masculinity.”

Rumors of the fight began in June when Musk—who has been known to regret tweets sent after hours—published a late-night post on Twitter, now called X, saying he would be “up for a cage fight” with Zuckerberg. 

A matter of hours later, the Meta founder ominously took to one of his own channels, Instagram, and posted to his story a screenshot of Musk’s tweet captioned “Send Me Location.”

Since then Zuckerberg—who has won medals in jujitsu—has said he’s “not holding his breath” for the fight to take place, having proposed Aug. 26 as the date for the showdown.

Musk however claims he has been training for the fight daily, adding he just needs to get an MRI scan first.

The Facebook cofounder and the X owner became direct rivals in July when Zuckerberg launched Threads, openly confirming it wanted to compete with the older social media platform.

And although the odds seem to be with Zuckerberg according to bookies, Musk’s former partner, whose real name is Claire Boucher, hopes the event will help the two titans respect each other more.

C admitted that she herself had not necessarily aided mutual understanding between the pair, though.

In July Musk tweeted: “Zuck is cuck. I propose a literal dick-measuring contest.” In the Wired interview, C confirmed the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had actually been acting on her idea.

“I was like, why don’t you cut to the chase and get out a ruler?” she revealed. “I didn’t think he was going to tweet it.”

‘Not a pleasant feeling’

Despite optimism about what the fight could mean for Musk and Zuckerberg’s relationship—and confirming she “loves” watching what she describes as “gladiatorial matches”—witnessing the father of her children partake in such a contest will not be a “pleasant” feeling.

Although backing Musk as “very strong,” the mother of two added: “I would prefer that it didn’t happen.” 

Musk and C began dating in 2018 and have split and been reunited a number of times since then—with C telling Vanity Fair last year the pair are “best friends.”

The duo co-parent son X Æ A-Xii (nicknamed X), age 3, and daughter Exa Dark Sideræl Musk (nicknamed Y), age 1, who appear to share some aptitudes with their father. C revealed that they are both “little engineers.”

In the interview, C revealed X had an “obsession” with space, which had her questioning if it was healthy: “We had to stop giving him toys, because if they’re not anatomically correct, he gets upset.”

Meanwhile Y likes industrial shipping. “She’s very strange,” her mother said.

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
About the Author
Eleanor Pringle
By Eleanor PringleSenior Reporter, Economics and Markets
LinkedIn icon

Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance. Eleanor previously worked as a business correspondent and news editor in regional news in the U.K. She completed her journalism training with the Press Association after earning a degree from the University of East Anglia.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Musk stands in front of a flag in the Oval Office
C-SuiteElon Musk
‘Don’t look at the résumé’: Elon Musk admits he’s ‘fallen prey’ to flashy credentials but says conversation matters most when hiring
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 9, 2026
57 minutes ago
amodei
AIAdvertising
Scott Galloway on why that Anthropic Super Bowl ad got under Sam Altman’s skin and exposed ‘therapy’ as the AI use case
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 9, 2026
1 hour ago
journalists
CommentaryMedia
I’m a war gamer for the Navy and I know why you don’t trust the media anymore. It’s fighting yesterday’s battles
By Charles Edward Gehrke and The ConversationFebruary 9, 2026
1 hour ago
kiara
AIstart-ups
Exclusive: Peter Thiel–backed industrial AI startup emerges from stealth in a16z ‘American Dynamism’ push
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 9, 2026
4 hours ago
Photo of Mark Zuckerberg
AIMeta
As billionaires bail, Mark Zuckerberg doubles down on California with $50 million donation
By Sydney LakeFebruary 9, 2026
4 hours ago
Thasunda Brown Duckett, TIAA CEO, speaks onstage during a live taping of "Earn Your Leisure" at Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College on January 22, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
FinanceFortune 500 Companies
Meet the 10 Black Fortune 500 CEOs leading companies with over $412 billion in combined revenues
By Cheyann HarrisFebruary 9, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. is '1,000% going to go bankrupt' unless AI and robotics save the economy from crushing debt
By Jason MaFebruary 7, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Russian officials are warning Putin that a financial crisis could arrive this summer, report says, while his war on Ukraine becomes too big to fail
By Jason MaFebruary 8, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
America marks its 250th birthday with a fading dream—the first time that younger generations will make less than their parents
By Mark Robert Rank and The ConversationFebruary 8, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
China might be beginning to back away from U.S. debt as investors get nervous about overexposure to American assets
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 9, 2026
9 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
We studied 70 countries' economic data for the last 60 years and something big about market crashes changed 25 years ago
By Josh Ederington, Jenny Minier and The ConversationFebruary 8, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Patriots quarterback Drake Maye still drives a 2015 pickup truck even after it broke down on the highway—despite his $37 million contract
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.