A novelty contest comparing how much Big Tech heavyweights such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg drink is drawing attention in Silicon Valley. In parts of the tech industry that were obsessed with health management and longevity, drinking and smoking are even becoming a subject of jokes.

Business Insider reported on Oct. 14 that a recent scene of Zuckerberg drinking a Guinness stout on the podcast "Cheeky Pint" by Stripe co-founder John Collison (존 콜리슨) became a hot topic online. Zuckerberg appeared with Alexandre Wang (알렉산드르 왕), Meta's chief AI officer, and drank Guinness. After taking a sip, Zuckerberg made a face that appeared to grimace, and the clip spread. Zuckerberg later explained on X (Twitter), saying, "That's just my face."

The tech podcast ETN also released the "Cheeky Pint Benchmark," tallying Guinness consumption by Cheeky Pint guests. The ranking compares drinking by 38 guests in units of one-sixth of a pint. Musk currently ranks first, according to the list. He was tallied as drinking 3 pints of Guinness on the show. Leaving a beer mug and a smiling emoji, Musk responded, saying, "The funny thing is I hardly drink."

Competitive joking among Silicon Valley figures continued. Venture capitalist Martin Casado (마틴 카사도) said, "If I go on, the ranking will need a new metric."

Some also pointed out that drinking per hour should be calculated depending on the length of the broadcast. Fans are enjoying it enough to produce a separate ranking comparing founders' drinking and sociability.

The mood also intersects with recent smoking-related jokes that have emerged in parts of the tech industry. Vlad Tenev (블라드 테네프), CEO of Robinhood, said he hears that cases of AI researchers smoking are increasing. Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar (샴 산카르) also mentioned researchers who started smoking because of their belief that AI would cure cancer.

No statistics were presented to prove an actual spread of smoking. The phenomenon is interpreted as humor by some figures trying to show off a relaxed and rebellious image within Silicon Valley's health-focused culture.