Oliver Haslam on November 30, 2023, 10:41 pm

Elon Musk Launches Foul-Mouthed Rant, Warns Advertisers Could Kill X Off

Following the news that more than 100 companies have stopped buying ads on X following owner Elon Musk’s recent antisemitic comments he took to the stage to address the situation. And it probably didn’t go the way he expected it to.

Musk was being interviewed by Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times DealBook Summit when he was asked about companies pausing their ads on his platform.

The response suggested that he doesn’t seem too concerned if they don’t come back. In fact, he doesn’t seem to want them to after launching an expletive-filled rant at the boycotting companies including Disney and its CEO Big Iger.

I hope they stop. Don’t advertise. If someone’s going to try and blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money…go fu** yourself.
Go fu** yourself. Is that clear?

Musk then said “Hi Bob” while pondering whether Iger was in the audience at the time.

The stance was interesting given a statement by Musk that these claimed boycotting ad companies could spell the end of his company. “What this advertising boycott is going to do is kill X,” Musk went on to say. “The whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company, and we will document it in great detail.”

Musk seemed to miss the irony of complaining he was being blackmailed before immediately trying to blackmail the advertising industry by suggesting that they better bring their dollars back to X otherwise he’ll badmouth them to anyone who will listen.