• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

3

Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

3

Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026
Elon Musk

Elon Musk challenged Putin to a fistfight for the fate of Ukraine—and the Russian government responded

By
Tristan Bove
Tristan Bove
Contributing Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tristan Bove
Tristan Bove
Contributing Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 14, 2022, 2:53 PM ET

As the intensity of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s campaign in Ukraine escalates, billionaire businessman Elon Musk has an unorthodox yet old-fashioned solution.

“I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat,” Musk wrote on Twitter Monday. “Stakes are Ukraine.”

Musk wrote out both Putin’s name and the word “Ukraine” in Cyrillic script. But while Putin’s name was written out in Russian, “Ukraine” was written in Ukrainian, a show of support from the world’s richest man toward the plight of Ukrainian citizens after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of the country over two weeks ago. 

I hereby challenge
Владимир Путин
to single combat

Stakes are Україна

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2022

The tweet has yet to receive a response from Putin, but Russian government officials have been happy to respond in his stead.

“You, little devil, are still young,” tweeted Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russian space agency Roscosmos. “Compete with me weakling. It would only be a waste of time.”

Musk has been remarkably forthcoming and public about his endorsement of Ukraine and criticism of Putin, and his support has not been limited to provoking the Russian president to duel him on Twitter. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has not been afraid to use the vast array of resources at his disposal to help the dogged Ukrainian resistance movement and besieged citizens.

Days after the invasion, Musk accelerated a planned rollout of internet coverage from his satellite internet company Starlink to Ukraine, after a public request by Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Musk and Fedorov claimed that expanded Starlink coverage would give Ukrainian forces a tactical advantage over the invading Russian army. Satellite dishes required to make the Starlink service work started arriving just one day after Musk’s announcement.

Fedorov seems to be on Team Elon in the possible Putin-Musk showdown. “I am sure that @elonmusk can send Putin to Jupiter,” Fedorov replied to the original tweet, adding an image of Putin locked in a spaceship en route to the planet.

Musk’s original tweet has received over 200,000 likes, but in typical Elon fashion, the billionaire businessman has been unable to avoid stirring up controversy.

Just a few hours before issuing the challenge to Putin, Musk tweeted a meme with the words “I support the current thing” circling an image of the Ukrainian flag, apparently mocking people’s inclination to show support for any topic that dominates the news cycle at a given time.

pic.twitter.com/CfoJ3qdCRJ

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2022

The meme did not go over well with Musk’s supporters, with some calling it “insensitive” and “tone-deaf.” Others seemed to find the meme, which garnered more than 450,000 likes, refreshing and humorous.

Never miss a story: Follow your favorite topics and authors to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you.

About the Author
By Tristan BoveContributing Reporter
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Snowflake CEO says monster quarter shows why software firms need new pricing models to thrive in AI age
AISnowflake Computing
Snowflake CEO says monster quarter shows why software firms need new pricing models to thrive in AI age
By Sebastian HerreraMay 30, 2026
3 hours ago
Damn the torpedoes — More ships are quietly slipping through the Strait of Hormuz as helicopters scare off Iran’s fast-attack boats
EnergyIran
Damn the torpedoes — More ships are quietly slipping through the Strait of Hormuz as helicopters scare off Iran’s fast-attack boats
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
3 hours ago
Warren Buffett’s son Peter didn’t know his dad was a billionaire until his 20s—he found out from a rich list
SuccessWarren Buffett
Warren Buffett’s son Peter didn’t know his dad was a billionaire until his 20s—he found out from a rich list
By Sydney LakeMay 30, 2026
4 hours ago
A woman in a dark blazer speaks in front of a table of people.
SuccessLeadership
‘Don’t be yourself’ in the workplace, actually, Columbia professor says. Here’s why authenticity is ‘overrated’
By Sasha RogelbergMay 30, 2026
5 hours ago
Former IHOP CEO Julia Stewart
SuccessJobs
Ex-Applebee’s exec was told she’d never be CEO—she bought the chain and fired her naysayer: ‘We don’t need two of us, so I’m gonna have to let you go’
By Emma BurleighMay 30, 2026
5 hours ago
Ex–Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns U.S. tech workers: Competing with China’s grueling 12-hour workdays means sacrificing work-life balance
Future of Workthe future of work
Ex–Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns U.S. tech workers: Competing with China’s grueling 12-hour workdays means sacrificing work-life balance
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 30, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
Magazine
As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
By Emma HinchliffeMay 27, 2026
3 days ago
Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
Economy
Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
By Shawn TullyMay 30, 2026
13 hours ago
Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 29, 2026
1 day ago
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
Success
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
By Emma BurleighMay 28, 2026
2 days ago
UBS says Ron DeSantis has a problem with his plan to help 92% of homeowners save on property taxes: His own state's data
Personal Finance
UBS says Ron DeSantis has a problem with his plan to help 92% of homeowners save on property taxes: His own state's data
By Nick LichtenbergMay 28, 2026
2 days ago
Jamie Dimon tells Gen Z to 'learn how to think, learn how to earn respect' as he describes 'great meeting' with Zohran Mamdani
Success
Jamie Dimon tells Gen Z to 'learn how to think, learn how to earn respect' as he describes 'great meeting' with Zohran Mamdani
By Nick LichtenbergMay 29, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.