In a recent appearance at The New York Times DealBook Summit, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, responded to advertisers leaving X with strong words. Musk expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “Go f— yourself” to those participating in the advertiser boycott. He emphasized the potential consequences of the boycott, predicting it could lead to the demise of the platform, with the world attributing its downfall to the departing advertisers.
Addressing Disney CEO Bob Iger, who discussed Disney’s withdrawal of advertising from X, Musk didn’t mince words, urging them not to advertise and dismissing attempts at financial blackmail. Musk explicitly stated, “Go f— yourself, is that clear? Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience. That’s how I feel, don’t advertise.”
During the interview, Musk also issued an apology for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X, acknowledging the role it played in contributing to the advertiser exodus.
These remarks followed Musk’s recent visit to Israel, where he toured a kibbutz attacked by Hamas militants and engaged in discussions with top leaders. Musk has faced accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on X, formerly Twitter, a platform he acquired last year. The Anti-Defamation League and others have criticized the platform’s content, particularly amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The controversy escalated when major brands, including Disney and IBM, suspended advertising on X after a report by Media Matters revealed their ads alongside pro-Nazi content and White nationalist posts. In response, X filed a lawsuit against the liberal advocacy group, accusing them of fabricating the report to drive advertisers away and harm X Corp.
I’m reasonably sure that Elon Musk is not related to any band member of Country Joe & the Fish. However, I can’t stop hearing “Gimme an F; gimme a U…”
WAY TO GO, Elon!