On Wednesday, Elon Musk, the high-profile business magnate, publicly addressed criticism from various quarters after a recent post on a well-known social media platform, which he now owns, was widely condemned as antisemitic. In his statement, Musk conceded that this incident marked his “most unwise” engagement on social media to date.
However, he simultaneously expressed strong disapproval towards several advertisers who have withdrawn from the platform in response to a perceived increase in antisemitic content. During his appearance at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York, as reported by a major news network, Musk was forthright in his views about these advertisers.
He stated emphatically that he was indifferent to their choice to cease advertising on the platform, using strong language to articulate his stance. Musk notably addressed a high-ranking executive, seemingly present at the event, reiterating his firm position on the matter.
According to the same news network, this comment appeared to be a veiled reference to Bob Iger, the CEO of a major entertainment conglomerate, who had spoken at the same summit earlier.
This controversy follows a decision earlier in the month by several prominent companies to halt their advertising on the social media platform, previously identified as Twitter. This move was ostensibly a reaction to Musk’s apparent endorsement of a controversial and antisemitic theory in the public domain. Among the companies suspending their advertising were several industry heavyweights, including but not limited to, entertainment giants like Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Comcast, Lionsgate, and Warner Brothers/Discovery, as reported by the news network.
