SWAPD Newsroom - 01/12/23
Elon Musk, during a recent New York Times DealBook Summit interview, made headlines with his blunt message to advertisers who have pulled out of X/Twitter following his promotion of a tweet deemed antisemitic. Musk declared to these advertisers, “go f*ck yourself,” highlighting the tension between him and the advertising community.
The interview, known for its candid and sometimes unpredictable nature, saw Musk discussing the mental “storm” he experiences and the potential financial peril facing his social media network. He suggested that the loss of advertising revenue could lead to bankruptcy for the company.
Musk’s comments were particularly pointed towards Disney’s president, Bob Iger, who had earlier participated in the summit and spoken about Disney’s decision to withdraw advertisements from the platform. Iger had expressed discomfort with the association between Disney, Musk, and X/Twitter following Musk’s controversial tweet.
The departure of advertisers from X/Twitter was triggered by Musk’s endorsement of what many viewed as an antisemitic conspiracy theory, and a report by Media Matters linking ads to antisemitic content. In response, Musk filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, and various studios have also reduced their activity on X/Twitter.
Despite this tough stance, Musk conceded in the interview that his antisemitic post was an error, admitting it was perhaps his most unwise action on the platform. He regretted not offering a more detailed explanation of his views and acknowledged that his lack of clarity provided ammunition to his critics and those with antisemitic leanings.
Musk did not, however, comment on the lawsuit he initiated against Media Matters.
The backlash Musk is facing is one of many controversies since he assumed control of Twitter and rebranded it as X. His leadership has seen significant changes in verification processes and a declared intention to compete with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The wide-ranging interview also covered topics like Tesla sales, space exploration, and OpenAI. It featured notable figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and Bob Iger among other guests.