Mark Zuckerberg Wins Gold at Local California Jiu Jitsu Tournament, Following $725 Million Class Action Lawsuit

Since Facebook's 2018 hearing at Capitol Hill, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), Mark Zuckerberg has been on an authenticity tour.

After a senate hearing in which Facebook came under fire for its privacy practices (following the 2016 election), images of Mark drinking water peculiarly began to surface on the internet. And, as the internet often does, memes of Mark depicting him as a pseudo-human began to surface.

Savvy meme-makers quickly churned his stiff demeanour into conspiracies, hinting at Mark being something otherworldly -- a robot, alien, even hybrid lizard person residing at the Earth's core.

Although the stories were (largely) intended to be comedic in nature, they further emphasized the inhuman way in which Facebook sells and mines user data for monetary gain.

Most recently, "a nationwide $725 million class-action settlement" was reached with Facebook. According to nbcchicago.com, the settlement affects,

"Anybody who used the massive social network in the United States over a period of nearly 15 years."

Since questions about Facebook's morality regarding user information began to surface, back in 2016, Mark has made a point of appearing more authentic in the public eye. And, over the years, the 39-year-old tech billionaire has become the subject of countless memes and infamous images, such as:

• Mark's robotic public speaking skills
• Mark professing his love for grilled meats
• Mark riding an electric surfboard covered in sunscreen

And, although Mark seems to take them all in good fun, his latest viral moment breaks the mold of his usual awkward appearance -- to one of unbridled respect.

On May 06th, 2023, Mark Zuckerberg took to Instagram, sharing this photo of a recent Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, in Redwood City, California -- one where Mark took home both a gold and silver metal in respective weight divisions.

Alongside the image below, Mark wrote:

"Competed in my first jiu jitsu tournament and won some medals 🥇🥈 for the Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu team. Thanks to @davecamarillo@khaiwu @intense0ne for training me!"

Mark getting his hand raised at a local jiu-jitsu tournament.Photo by@Zuck/Instagram

In August of 2022, Mark shared on The Joe Rogan Experience that he's been training jiu-jitsu for the past few years and has been spotted cage-side at numerous UFC events. As a seeming curveball for the tech billionaire, Mark had this to say about the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole,

"From the very first session that I did, like five minutes in, I wondered, ‘Where has this been all my life?'"

So, as Meta continues to loosen the pressure of numerous lawsuits in recent years, Mark will continue to tighten his grip on a more authentic public image -- starting with his opponents.

Hey, I'm Hudson! I write about social media, marketing, and modern entrepreneurship. Hit follow for more stories like this one.