Alex Bruno
It was just another average Wednesday morning when the Twitter-sphere was graced with the latest brazen proclamation from SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. “Facebook is useless, maybe I should buy it,” he tweeted nonchalantly, sending shockwaves through the global tech community.
A commoner might see Facebook as a way to share cat videos, baby pictures, and post about their latest culinary adventure. But in the hands of Elon Musk, the audacious entrepreneur who casually fires rockets into space, the social media platform could well become the launchpad for a new chapter of disruptive innovation. Maybe, just maybe, Facebook would transform into a platform to order SpaceX trips or maybe a giant digital marketplace for buying Mars rocks. Who knows?
Musk’s statement left a wide spectrum of responses in its wake. The Silicon Valley tech community was split between ‘He’s lost it this time’ and ‘The man is a genius!’ with a liberal sprinkling of ‘Can he really do that?’ in between. Facebook employees, initially laughing it off as a typical Muskian prank, were reportedly seen huddled in corners, whispering nervously about the prospect of morning meetings on Mars and hyperloop commutes to work.
Meanwhile, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, known for his stoic demeanor, was reportedly seen sweating for the first time since the platform’s infamous data breach scandal. While the official statement from Facebook maintains that they are ‘not concerned,’ insiders claim that Zuckerberg has increased his daily coding hours, presumably readying himself for a potential code-duel with Musk.
Meanwhile, stock market analysts had a field day. Shares of Facebook saw a sudden spike, with investors seemingly thrilled at the prospect of Musk’s Midas touch gracing the social media giant. The speculation even spurred an amusing Twitter trend, #ElonBook, with users playfully predicting new features of the hypothetical Musk-owned Facebook.
One user suggested, “In ElonBook, you won’t send friend requests, you’ll send mini-rockets.” Another user tweeted, “On ElonBook, instead of likes and comments, you get Tesla miles!” The most popular one, however, was a post stating that, “Instead of a ‘wall,’ you will now post on your electric fence powered by SolarCity panels.”
The satire didn’t stop there. Stand-up comedians, late-night show hosts, and meme creators went on a frenzy, each trying to outdo the other with their hot takes on the scenario. One late-night host quipped, “If Musk buys Facebook, we will have to update our status through Neuralink implants. You’d better think twice before ‘liking’ your ex’s photos!”
Elon Musk, true to his form, didn’t let the momentum die down. A few hours later, he tweeted again, “If I buy Facebook, I promise the first change will be replacing the like button with a rocket emoji. #ElonBook.”
While it’s anyone’s guess whether Musk’s comments were a passing joke or an audacious hint at his next business move, they served a stark reminder that in the world of tech, with Elon Musk around, no day is an ordinary day. If nothing else, the audacious CEO gave the world a hearty laugh, a fair share of jitters, and, most importantly, a wild day of conjecture and satire. As they say, in the world of Elon Musk, ‘expect the unexpected’.
Until then, let’s keep an eye on that Facebook share price, and maybe, just maybe, brace ourselves for an Elon Musk Facebook friend request in our inbox. Remember, the rocket emoji will be waiting!
