Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, expressed concerns that major advertisers distancing themselves from the social media platform (formerly known as Twitter) could have a detrimental effect on the company, stating that it “could kill the company.”
During an interview with Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin at The New York Times’ Dealbook Summit, Musk issued a defiant response to Disney CEO Bob Iger’s decision to halt advertising on X after Musk supported an antisemitic comment on the platform. Iger expressed that Disney “felt that the association was not necessarily a positive one for us.”
Musk responded to Iger’s comments with a blunt statement: “Go f— yourself, is that clear? I hope it is. Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience. That’s how I feel. Don’t advertise.”
The advertising backlash surfaced after Musk publicly endorsed a X post that propagated antisemitic content, leading to companies such as Disney, Apple, and Coca-Cola withdrawing their paid ads, potentially causing X to lose up to $75 million in revenue, according to a report by The New York Times.
Despite his initial support of the antisemitic post, Musk later admitted that it was “one of the most foolish” he had ever posted on X. He expressed regret, stating, “I am quite sorry,” and acknowledging that “I should in retrospect not have replied to that particular post.”
