Elon Musk, in response to the potential loss of $75 million in ad revenue after boosting an antisemitic conspiracy theory, has a new message for advertisers pulling back from the platform: “Go fuck yourself.” He repeated the sentiment multiple times during an appearance at The New York Times’ DealBook event. “Don’t advertise,” Musk said. “If somebody is going to try and blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money? Go fuck yourself. Is that clear? I hope it is.” “Hey Bob,” Musk added, in reference to Disney CEO Bob Iger, who also appeared at the event and spoke about the company’s decision to pull ads following Musk’s tweet earlier this month. Iger said that Disney’s association with X was “not necessarily a positive one for us,” according to Variety. While Musk again denied being antisemitic, he expressed some regret for engaging with the tweet that led to another exodus of advertisers from X. “I should have not replied to that particular person… I essentially handed a loaded gun to those who hate me,” Musk said, as reported by Variety. X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. X CEO Linda Yaccarino sat “stone-faced” during Musk’s remarks, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Elon Musk’s Bold Response to Companies That Pulled Ads: ‘Go Screw Yourself’
