Tech mogul Elon Musk has shifted his focus from his ongoing battles with advertisers on his microblogging platform X to a new target — Paris Hilton. The saga began in October when X's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, proudly announced a partnership between the platform and Hilton's company, 11:11 Media.
However, this partnership hit a roadblock recently when Hilton's company decided to pull its advertisements from X due to concerns over the platform's alleged anti-Semitic content. The abrupt end to this collaboration seems to have irked Musk, who is now openly criticising Hilton's advertising campaign on X.
During an interview at The New York Times DealBook Summit last week, Musk expressed his frustration, saying, "If somebody is going to try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f*** yourself. Go. F***. Yourself." Musk didn't mince his words, making it clear how he felt about the situation. He even addressed Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, who had spoken at the same event, emphasising his strong stance.
You have said the actual truth
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 15, 2023
This clash comes in the aftermath of Musk's apology for a controversial tweet on November 15 that appeared to align with an anti-Jewish post. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has been under intense scrutiny on social media after he publicly supported a user on X who asserted that Jewish individuals fuelled animosity towards White people in response to a post on the platform.
Musk expressed regret for his actions but, during the DealBook Summit interview, using strong language to lash out at advertisers who withdrew their support.
The fallout from Musk's tweet has seen around 200 major advertisers, including industry giants like Disney, Apple, and IBM, halt their ad spending on X. According to a New York Times report, this advertising pause could cost X up to $75 million in the current quarter if it persists.
Acknowledging the potential financial implications, Musk admitted that a continued halt in advertising could bankrupt X. However, he also suggested that the public would likely blame the brands involved rather than holding him solely responsible for the situation.
The controversy took a turn when Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, expressed at the summit that the association with Musk and X was not necessarily positive for the company. Musk responded by saying he should have explained his position more thoroughly.
In an effort to address concerns, Musk clarified that his visit to Israel in October, where he toured sites affected by Hamas' assault, was planned independently of the X posts and the ensuing controversy.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: Dec 4, 2023 5:20 PM IST
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