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Billionaire Elon Musk told advertisers who left his social media platform X on anti-Semitic grounds to “you” in a fiery interview on Wednesday.
His impolite comments followed a moment of regret in an interview with the New York Times DealBook Summit. Musk has continually said he regretted posting a tweet on Nov. 15 that coincided with an anti-Jewish message.
Musk has faced a torrent of complaints since he agreed with a user who falsely claimed that Jews stoke hatred against white people. Musk said in his post that the user, referring to the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, was telling “the genuine truth. “”
On Wednesday, Musk said he had “handed over a loaded gun” to critics and anti-Semitic people, describing his post as perhaps the worst he’s ever done in a history of posts that included many “stupid” messages.
The Tesla CEO bristled at the idea that he was antisemitic and said that advertisers who left X, formerly known as Twitter, should not think they could blackmail him. “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money? Go f… yourself,” he said.
“Ve. F. . . . Is that clear? I hope so. Hey, Bob, if you’re in the audience,” he added, referring to Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger, who ran classified ads on X. Iger. He spoke earlier at the event and said that Disney felt the deal with X. after Musk’s decision “it hasn’t been positive for us. “A Disney spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“What worries me is the truth of intelligence, not the belief in it. And what I see is other people worrying about being smart while doing evil. Screw them,” Musk said.
Musk’s swear words to advertisers are the “final chapter” for brands doing business with X, said Lou Paskalis, founder of marketing consultancy AJL Advisory and former head of global media at Bank of America. “They won’t,” he said.
Customers who don’t like it deserve the products his company makes based on their quality, Musk said, pointing to Tesla’s electric cars and SpaceX rockets. “In fact, I’m not going to give in to demands,” he said.
Musk added that he himself has arguably done more for the environment, at Tesla, than anywhere else in the world, based on Tesla’s large sales of electric vehicles. “So it would be fair to say that, as the leader of the company, I’ve done more for the environment than for anything else — any human being on Earth. “
Musk’s comments come on the same day that U. S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that anti-Semitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war had come to a head, saying it threatened the protection of Jews around the world and in Israel. future. ” For us, the Jewish people, the crisis of anti-Semitism is a crisis. A fire that requires five alarms and wants to be put out,” Schumer said in an emotional 40-minute speech to the Senate.
Musk’s post was condemned through the White House for what it called “abhorrent promotion of anti-Semitic and racist hate. “
The “Great Replacement” theory falsely claims that Jews and leftists are organizing the ethnic and cultural replacement of white populations with non-white immigrants, which will lead to “white genocide. “
Following the launch, major U. S. companies, Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast, suspended their classified ads on X. A report through the liberal watchdog organization Media Matters prompted the departure of the advertiser, who said he discovered classified ads below. to publications that support Nazism. The platform filed a lawsuit against Media Matters last week for defamation.
Musk’s comments put pressure on X as a whole, CEO Linda Yaccarino added. One executive said he would do it with the company.
Musk himself seemed determined to think that X might fail financially and blamed advertisers.
“If the company fails because of advertiser boycott, it will fail because of an advertiser boycott. And that will be what bankrupt the company and that’s what everybody on earth will know,” he said. “Let the chips fall where they may.”
Following the conviction for his position, Musk traveled to Israel and videotaped the Hamas attack in the country on Oct. 7. On Monday, he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a verbal exchange broadcast live on X.
Musk on Wednesday said the trip had been planned before his message and was “independent” of the issue.
Musk in Israel said he opposed anti-Semitism and anything that “promotes hate and conflict” and said X would not publicize hate speech. There, he won a symbolic nameplate from the father of an Israeli captured through Hamas, which he promised. to use until all holes were released. He wore the nameplate on the level on Wednesday.
“The fact that you came here speaks volumes of your commitment to try to secure a better future,” Netanyahu told Musk during the conversation in Israel.
Musk’s wide-ranging interview on Wednesday included discussions ranging from relaxed speeches to the U. S. presidential environment and policy. Musk said he thought he would vote to re-elect President Joe Biden, but said he would vote for his most likely rival, Donald Trump. Sheila Dang with Hyunjoo Jin, (c) 2023 Reuters
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