Just another totally normal tweet from Musk
Just another normal day on Twitter as Elon Musk challenges Vladimir Putin to single combat. No, seriously.
In a tweet that includes the Russian translation and a direct call out to the Kremlin, the world’s richest man said he wants to fight the Russian president in single combat – the kind of phrase we normally associate with Game of Thrones.
Вы согласны на этот бой? @KremlinRussia_E
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2022
As well as being a literal autocrat waging an actual war on Ukraine, Putin has been widely reported as a black belt in judo – or at least he made damn sure was awarded one. He was actually dropped by the International Judo Federation following his invasion.
While we know this absolutely won’t be happening, it’s hard to resist the mental image once you’ve pictured it. That being said, the Telsa and SpaceX CEO seems to be backing himself:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503346230130323457?s=20&t=Sau4JVWfujdEUKoSa2Z7DA
Understandably, most people on social media have assumed this is yet another meme from an account that is often prone to this kind of content. However, at present, he doesn’t seem to be joking.
A number of people are asking if he knew exactly what he was writing in Russian. It would seem he knows full well:
I am absolutely serious
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2022
The Russian dictator has spent a considerable amount of time generating his cult of personality of the past couple of decades, with his apparent physical prowess and supposed sporting skill being key facets of his identity.
As far as we know, single combat doesn’t really allow for either opponent riding in on a bear, so the two will have to stick to the rules for this one.
Related links:
- As Ukrainians run for their lives – Russian influencers sob after country bans Instagram
- Activists storm home of Russian oligarch in west London
- The west should not rule out assassinating Putin, says former British army chief
