With profanity, Musk criticizes advertisers who left X – 11/30/2023 – Tech

Billionaire Elon Musk told advertisers who abandoned social network X (formerly Twitter) because of anti-Semitic content to “fuck off.” The comment was made during an interview full of expletives this Wednesday (29) at the DealBook Summit, from The New York Times.

Musk has repeatedly apologized for publishing a tweet on November 15 in which he agreed with an anti-Jewish post and also antagonized companies that suspended or canceled advertising campaigns.

The billionaire supported a user who claimed that Jews were fueling hatred against white people. In his post, Musk said the user, who referenced the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, was telling “the real truth.”

The attitude was followed by a series of criticisms, and several advertisers announced the suspension or cancellation of advertising campaigns on the social network. According to The New York Times, X could lose up to $75 million in revenue because of the anti-Semitic post.

On Wednesday, Musk said he had “handed over a loaded gun” to detractors and anti-Semitic people, describing his post as possibly the worst he had made in a messaging history that included many “silly” posts.

The billionaire was angered by accusations of anti-Semitism and said advertisers who left X should not feel they can blackmail him. “If someone is going to try to blackmail me with publicity, blackmail me with money? Fuck you,” he said.

“Fuck you. Fuck you. Is that clear? I hope so. Hey, Bob, if you’re in the audience,” Musk added, in an alleged reference to Robert Iger, Disney’s chief executive, who pulled X ads, and had participated in the event before Musk.

In his speech, Iger stated that Disney felt the association with X following Musk’s comments was “not positive” for the company. A Disney spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“What interests me is the reality of goodness, not the perception of it. And what I see everywhere are people who worry about looking good while doing bad. Fuck them,” Musk said.

Expert says Musk’s attitude is a final blow

Musk’s profanity against former advertisers is the “final chapter” for brands that do business with X, said Lou Paskalis, founder of marketing consultancy AJL Advisory and former director of global media at Bank of America. “They won’t forget this,” he said.

Musk said customers who didn’t like him should consider the products his company makes based on their quality, referring to Tesla’s electric cars and SpaceX’s rockets. “I certainly won’t get carried away,” he commented.

The billionaire added that “without a doubt” he himself has done more for the environment at Tesla than anyone else in the world, based on his automaker’s massive sales of electric vehicles.

Musk’s comments came on the same day that US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that the rise in anti-Semitism since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas has reached a crisis point, saying it threatens the security of Jews around the world and the future of Israel.

“For us, the Jewish people, the rise of anti-Semitism is a crisis. A massive fire that must be put out,” Schumer said in a 40-minute speech on the Senate floor.

Musk’s post was condemned by the White House for what it called “abhorrent promotion of anti-Semitic and racist hatred.”

After the billionaire’s publication, large companies in the country, including Disney, Warner Bros Discovery and Comcast, parent company of NBCUniversal, suspended advertisements on the social network X.

A report from the liberal watchdog group Media Matters precipitated the departure of the advertisers, who said they found ads alongside publications that support Nazism. The social network filed a lawsuit last week against Media Matters for defamation.

Musk himself seemed convinced that X could fail financially and blamed advertisers “If the company fails because of an advertiser boycott, it will fail because of an advertiser boycott. That’s what everyone will know,” he said. “Let the chips fall where they may.”

In the wake of the condemnation surrounding his publication, Musk traveled to Israel on October 7. Last Monday (26), he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a conversation broadcast live on X.

Musk said the trip had been planned before his message and was “independent” of the issue. In Israel, the owner of X stated that he is against anti-Semitism and anything that “promotes hatred and conflict” and that the social network does not promote hate speech.

While there, the billionaire received a symbolic pendant from the father of an Israeli hostage taken captive by Hamas, which he promised to wear until all the hostages were freed. He wore the accessory on stage on Wednesday.

CEO threatened

Musk’s comments put pressure on X in general, including the executive president, Linda Yaccarino, an appointment from the billionaire himself. An executive told Reuters she would remain with the company.

In a post on X on Wednesday night, Yaccarino said Musk had offered an apology and “an explicit viewpoint on our position.”

“And here’s my perspective when it comes to advertising: AX is at a unique and surprising intersection of free speech and the general public — and the X community is powerful and here to welcome you. To our partners who believe in our meaningful work — thank you,” she added.