Elon Musk, the tech titan behind various ventures, took center stage at a public event and launched a fiery verbal assault against advertisers who were acting against his social network, X.
Musk’s colorful language included a strong retort, “If someone tries to blackmail me with ads? Blackmail me with money? Go fuck yourself!” His remarks, made during a New York Times conference, emphasized that if advertisers boycott X, it could spell doom for the platform.
When asked about his commitment to keeping X afloat as the world’s wealthiest individual, Musk hinted that he might accept its financial demise. He made it clear that advertisers withdrawing their support would need to justify their actions to the public.
During his address, Musk referenced Disney’s CEO Bob Iger, who had expressed disinterest in associating Disney with Musk. Hollywood studios have also distanced themselves by pausing activity on X accounts, refraining from sharing updates about their latest movies or series.
This wave of disassociation began when Musk labeled a particular post as the “actual truth,” alleging that Jewish organizations promoted hatred against whites. Subsequently, hate speech researchers revealed the uncomfortable reality of reputable brand advertisements appearing next to Nazi-related content on X.
In response, X took legal action against these researchers, accusing the nonprofit Media Matters of deliberately engineering the placement of well-known companies’ ads alongside Nazi-related content and anti-Semitic statements.
In the wake of weeks-long controversy, Musk finally acknowledged that his “actual truth” post was a mistake. He clarified that his intended message was to caution Jewish organizations against backing radical Islamists seeking their annihilation.
Despite Musk’s insistence that he isn’t anti-Semitic, his post drew criticism from the White House but found support in certain anti-Semitic circles.
Earlier this week, Musk visited Israel, where he toured a kibbutz attacked by the Islamist group Hamas on October 7, 2023, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Musk stressed that his visit was unrelated to the controversy surrounding his X post.
