Elon Musk Defiant in the Face of Criticism Over Controversial Tweets
Elon Musk, in an interview with CNBC’s on Tuesday, expressed his indifference towards the potential negative consequences of his inflammatory tweets, stating that he will speak his mind regardless of the financial impact.
“I’ll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it,” said Musk.
As the owner of Twitter, Musk has a long history of sharing controversial content, including conspiracy theories and comments that have been widely criticized for their discriminatory nature.
Musk’s recent defense follows renewed backlash for a tweet in which he compared liberal billionaire and Democratic donor George Soros to the X-Men character Magneto, a Holocaust survivor of Jewish descent. In the tweet, Musk accused Soros of seeking to undermine society and expressed a belief that Soros harbors hatred towards humanity.
The Tesla CEO has previously targeted Soros, especially after Soros Fund Management, his family office, reduced its stake in Tesla. Soros, who is also Jewish, has been a frequent target of right-wing pundits and politicians, often facing anti-Semitic attacks. Having escaped the Nazis during World War II, Soros and his family have endured significant hardships.
Critics argue that Musk’s tweets about Soros are part of a broader pattern of attacks on the 92-year-old investor and Democratic donor. Analyst Alex Goldenberg from the Network Contagion Research Institute highlighted the harmful anti-Semitic tropes associated with Musk likening Soros to Magneto, emphasizing the implications of Jewish global control. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also criticized Musk’s tweets for their anti-Semitic undertones.
In response to the criticism, Musk denied being an anti-Semite, asserting that he is pro-Semitic if anything. However, his past tweets, including the use of Hitler-related memes that were subsequently removed, have further fueled the controversy.
Faber also questioned Musk about his tweet sharing a link to a suggestion that a recent mass shooting at a Texas mall could be part of a “bad psyop” or psychological operation. Investigations have explored the possibility of the shooter, who was killed by the police, holding white supremacist views due to his association with extremist symbols such as a “RWDS” patch and Nazi tattoos, including a swastika.
Dismissing the notion of the shooting being linked to white supremacy, Musk criticized the attribution without concrete evidence. He argued against making unsubstantiated claims about white supremacy and emphasized the importance of avoiding false associations.
Since assuming control of Twitter last autumn, Musk’s outspoken presence has coincided with a sharp decline in advertising revenue on the platform, as brands and companies reassessed their involvement. To revitalize Twitter’s advertising business, Musk recently appointed former NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO, a move aimed at rejuvenating the company. Yaccarino officially assumed the role on Sunday.
