When Bluesky CEO Jay Graber took the stage at SXSW this week, she didn’t have to say Mark Zuckerberg’s name to poke fun at him. Instead, she let her T-shirt do the talking. The simple black shirt featured Latin text across the chest and sleeves, mimicking the style of a T-shirt that the Meta CEO wore last year. Graber’s shirt read, Mundus sine Caesaribus—which translates to “a world without Caesars.”
The phrase clearly references Zuckerberg’s own T-shirt, which bore the words Aut Zuck aut nihil, meaning “Zuck or nothing.” His shirt played on the Latin phrase Aut Caesar aut nihil, a slogan associated with the Roman dictator Julius Caesar. Many found it odd that Zuckerberg would compare himself to a historical figure known for seizing absolute power. Graber’s version, however, seemed to champion a different vision—one that challenges the idea of a single ruler controlling everything.
A viral hit among Bluesky users
Graber’s shirt quickly became a hot topic among Bluesky users, sparking excitement across the platform. The buzz was so strong that Bluesky decided to sell replicas to raise money for its developer community. Priced at US$40 and available in sizes S to XL, the T-shirt sold out in just 30 minutes.
The overwhelming response highlighted how much the message resonated with Bluesky’s audience. Many users see the platform as a direct contrast to Meta, offering a decentralised and open-source alternative where power isn’t concentrated in the hands of a single executive.
More than just a joke
While Graber’s T-shirt was a playful dig at Zuckerberg, it also reflected Bluesky’s core mission. Unlike Meta, which operates as a centralised tech giant, Bluesky aims to create a social media landscape where no single company or billionaire can take control. The platform’s structure allows developers to contribute and create alternative network versions.
At SXSW, Graber explained why this model matters: “If a billionaire came in and bought Bluesky, or took it over, or if I decided tomorrow to change things in a way that people really didn’t like, then they could fork off and go on to another application,” she said. “There’s already applications in the network that give you another way to view the network, or you could build a new one as well. And so that openness guarantees that there’s always the ability to move to a new alternative.”
Bluesky remains small compared to Meta’s massive reach, but its approach challenges social media’s traditional power structures. With its open-source, decentralised model, Bluesky envisions a digital space where users have more control.
Graber’s viral T-shirt may have been a lighthearted jab at Zuckerberg, but it also captured the essence of Bluesky’s philosophy—one that aims to build a world without tech Caesars.
