After some controversial comments labeling Elon Musk as anti-Semitic, he took a few days off for a trip to Israel before returning to his normal routine in an attempt to save face. According to advertisers, this was too little and too late, as major companies pulled their ads from X/Twitter, leading to serious concerns about the platform’s future.
In an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Musk was pressed on the ad block and it seems he believes they are wrong. He also apparently doesn’t care whether advertisers choose to use his platform or not.
“If someone tries to blackmail me with advertising, he said. “Blackmail me with money…. Go fuck yourself.” He then pauses before repeating the last part of his statement.
Whatever you think of the controversy, it’s clear that Musk’s stance is strong. It seems unlikely that advertisers will back down after he tells them to go fuck themselves, but at this point we’re not sure he cares.