Elon Musk issues apology for antisemitic tweet, lashes out at advertisers
In his first interview with mainstream media since his controversial antisemitic post on X earlier this month, Elon Musk issued an apology for what he called his “dumbest” ever social media post. However, he also lashed out at advertisers leaving his platform due to rising antisemitism on X.
Speaking at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York, Musk expressed his frustration with advertisers, stating, “I don’t want them to advertise. If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money go f**k yourself. Go. F**k. Yourself.”
This outburst was directed at Disney CEO Bob Iger, who had spoken earlier at the summit on Wednesday. Disney has not immediately responded to Musk’s remarks.
Musk made the comments as Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, sat in the audience. Yaccarino was brought into the company to woo back big-name advertisers.
During the interview, Musk also addressed the recent controversy surrounding his antisemitic post and admitted that it may be “the worst” post he has ever made. He also mentioned that his recent visit to Israel was not an apology tour in response to the backlash he received.
The conversation with Musk also delved into topics such as AI, OpenAI, and other controversial statements, leading to a portion of the audience walking out before the discussion officially concluded.
The interview with Elon Musk has sparked further debate about his remarks and actions, as well as the implications for his company, X.
This story has been updated with additional developments.