Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk: Stock Performance and Philanthropy Battle
Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are reportedly planning to square off in a physical cage match, but the tech titans have been facing off financially for years already. Comparing the performances of Meta Platforms Inc. and Tesla Inc. shares, it appears Zuckerberg would beat Musk in a short-term race, but Musk would likely outperform in a marathon duel.
Meta’s stock has run up 138% year to date, while Tesla shares have climbed 111% in that period. Since Meta went public in May 2012, the stock has gone up about 650%. Over the same period, however, Tesla’s stock has skyrocketed 14,096%.
Musk is richer than Zuckerberg
The Tesla CEO currently tops the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a $236 billion net worth, while Zuckerberg sits at No. 10 on the list with a $104 billion net worth.
Musk’s stake in Tesla dwarfs what Zuck owns of Meta
Musk owns a nearly 13% stake in Tesla, while Zuckerberg has a much smaller position in Meta, at about 832,000 shares or 0.4% of what’s outstanding.
Zuck is much more charitable than Musk
Both Zuckerberg and Musk have signed the Giving Pledge to give away most of their wealth. Forbes magazine in 2022 gave Zuckerberg a 3 out of 5 score for philanthropy, while Musk received a score of 1 due to his lower percentage of wealth given away.
Musk’s Tesla invests better
Musk’s Tesla has been a much better investor than Zuckerberg’s Meta. Over the past five years, Tesla’s return on assets (ROA) has improved significantly, while Meta’s ROA has dropped. During this time, Tesla’s stock has climbed 1,065%, while Meta shares have gone up 42%.