Billionaire Elon Musk, in a candid interview, expressed strong displeasure towards advertisers who had left his social media platform X due to concerns about antisemitic content.
Musk’s impassioned comments, filled with profanity, came after a moment of regret during a New York Times DealBook Summit interview where he repeatedly apologized for a tweet he posted on Nov. 15.
In that tweet, Musk endorsed an anti-Jewish post, resulting in widespread criticism. Musk had agreed with a user who falsely claimed that Jewish individuals were promoting animosity against white people. In his post, Musk asserted that the user, who referenced the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, was speaking what he believed to be “the actual truth.”
On Wednesday, Musk acknowledged that he had provided ammunition to both critics and those with anti-Semitic sentiments, characterizing his statement as potentially the most regrettable among a series of imprudent messages over time. Musk’s remarks have created challenges for X overall, impacting Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino. An insider informed Reuters that she intends to stay with the company. In a post on X late on Wednesday, Yaccarino mentioned that Musk had issued an apology and presented a clear stance on their position. She expressed her perspective on advertising, emphasizing that X occupies a unique intersection of Free Speech and Main Street, highlighting the strength of the X community in extending a welcoming embrace.
The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, strongly rejected accusations of antisemitism and expressed disdain towards advertisers who withdrew from X (formerly Twitter), warning them against attempting to blackmail him through advertising. Musk bluntly stated, “If somebody tries to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money? Go screw yourself. Clear? I hope so. Hey, Bob, if you’re in the audience,” appearing to address Robert Iger, CEO of Walt Disney, which had removed ads from X. Iger, who spoke earlier at the event, mentioned that Disney believed the association with X after Musk’s action “was not a positive one for us.” A Disney spokesperson did not immediately respond to a comment request.
- Misleading Video Alters Prime Minister Shehbaz’s Speech Targeting Political Rival, Not His Party - 21/04/2024
- ATC Grants Three-Day Remand for Suspects in Ichhra Bazaar Harassment Case - 19/03/2024
- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh Lead World in Severe Smog Crisis, Exceeding WHO Guidelines - 19/03/2024
