Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s passion for combat sports dates back to his high school fencing days, but his pursuit of physically demanding hobbies has also raised concerns about potential risks to the company.
Zuckerberg Planned Fencing Moves During Chemistry Class
In a 2022 appearance on The Tim Ferriss Show, Zuckerberg recalled fencing in high school, describing it as a sport that combined physical endurance with strategic thinking.
The Meta CEO said he was drawn to the sport because it challenged him both mentally and physically.
"It’s obviously very physical and cardio-taxing … But it’s also very, very mental," he stated, adding, "I have these memories [from] my high school chemistry classes of like writing out sequences of moves that I wanted to try."
Zuckerberg explained that fencing required anticipating opponents’ actions and developing strategies to win exchanges in different ways.
"I found it to be very intellectual but a good sport," he said.
Although he competed in state-level competitions, Zuckerberg acknowledged that he was "never that good at it" and likely would not have been competitive at the college level.
From Fencing to Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
Zuckerberg’s interest in combat sports has continued into adulthood. In 2023, he announced he competed in his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament and won medals, sharing photos from the event on Instagram.
He has also pursued mixed martial arts (MMA) training, surfing and hydrofoiling, a water sport in which a board rises above the surface using an underwater wing.
In November 2023, Zuckerberg disclosed that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, while training for a competitive MMA fight and had undergone surgery.
His interest in combat sports also became a public talking point during an online feud with Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk. The two executives discussed a potential cage fight, but they eventually called off the proposed matchup, with both blaming the other for the cancellation.
Why Meta Warned Investors About Zuckerberg’s Hobbies
In its 2023 annual report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in February 2024, Meta identified executives’ participation in high-risk activities as a potential business risk.
The company warned that Zuckerberg and certain other executives engaged in activities including combat sports, extreme sports and recreational aviation, which could result in serious injury or death.
"If Mr. Zuckerberg were to become unavailable for any reason, there could be a material adverse impact on our operations," the filing stated.
At the time, Zuckerberg responded to a Morning Brew post about the disclosure on Threads with a GIF reading, "High risk = high reward."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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