Musk accuses advertisers of blackmail for boycotting X
By Kingsley Odii
Elon Musk has recently expressed displeasure and strong criticism towards advertisers who had withdrawn their spending from X as a result of his alleged endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk, who is currently the world’s wealthiest individual, accused these advertisers of attempting to “blackmail” X and even threatened the company with bankruptcy.
During the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Musk directed his message towards major advertisers like Disney, who had paused their ad spending on X/Twitter. He stated, “Go f*ck yourself. Is that clear?” Musk lambasted advertisers for pretending to act virtuously while engaging in “evil” practices.
At the same summit, Disney CEO Bob Iger addressed the company’s decision to halt ad spending on X/Twitter. Iger acknowledged his respect for Musk and his accomplishments but cited Musk’s public stance as the reason for Disney’s disassociation with X/Twitter, as it was deemed unfavorable for the company.
When asked to respond, Musk expressed that if companies like Disney wished to “blackmail” him using their advertising power, they should refrain from advertising on X/Twitter. Musk addressed Iger directly, stating, “Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience, that’s how I feel – don’t advertise.”
X/Twitter has been experiencing a significant loss of major advertisers, including Disney, IBM, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony, Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Lionsgate. These advertisers suspended their ad spending after Musk endorsed a post that propagated the antisemitic replacement theory on X/Twitter.
Reflecting on his actions, Musk admitted his error in responding to that specific individual and acknowledged that he had essentially handed a weapon to those who disliked him. He referred to it as one of the “most foolish” posts he had ever made on X/Twitter.
Musk clarified his remarks in subsequent posts, stating that his intention was to highlight the illogical situation of persecuted groups funded by Jewish organizations calling for attacks on Jewish people. He emphasized that he is not antisemitic and claimed to be “philo-Semitic” if anything.
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