Elon Musk Hurls Defiant, Profanity-laced Retort at Fleeing Advertisers

THE GUARDIAN: At New York event Wednesday, X owner had choice words for Walt Disney and others who pulled ads over antisemitic content

Elon Musk at an event in London on 2 November 2023. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA
Elon Musk has issued a defiant and profanity-laced message for the advertisers who pulled money from X in recent weeks amid a backlash over his endorsement of an antisemitic tweet and reports of increased hate speech on the platform.

Video of the interview, which was widely circulated, showed that Musk said, “Don’t advertise,” on Wednesday during an on-stage interview at an event in New York. “If someone’s going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money, go fuck yourself.”

Musk’s combative remarks came as part of the New York Times’ DealBook Summit. Moments before, the CEO had offered a moment of contrition for his 15 November tweet that endorsed an antisemitic post on X. He said it had been perhaps his worst post in his history of messages that included many “foolish” ones – including a 2018 tweet that cost him $40m in fines from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. (With video) » | Kari Paul | Thursday, November 30, 2023

Elon Musk to File ‘Thermonuclear Lawsuit’ as Advertisers Desert X

THE GUARDIAN: Social media firm boss says he will sue media watchdog that said ads were being placed alongside antisemitic content

Elon Musk said he would file a lawsuit ‘against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company’. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Elon Musk has said he will be filing a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against Media Matters and others, after major US companies paused their adverts on his social media site over concerns about antisemitism.

The media watchdog Media Matters said earlier this week that it found corporate advertisements by IBM, Apple, Oracle and Comcast’s Xfinity were being placed alongside antisemitic content, including that praising Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

It led to a number of big names in technology and media announcing they would be withdrawing their advertising. It also included Warner Brothers, Paramount and Disney.

“The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company,” Musk said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. » | Harry Taylor | Saturday, November 18, 2023

Boycotting Bill O'Reilly: Over 50 Advertisers Pull Ads on Fox Show over Sexual Harassment Scandal

The number of advertisers boycotting Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News program has increased to at least 52, following revelations that he and the network paid out $13 million to settle lawsuits by five women who accuse O’Reilly of sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behavior. Meanwhile, a third Fox News employee has joined a lawsuit charging the network with racial discrimination. The employees claim top executives—including former CEO Roger Ailes—refused to intervene as they were forced to endure "years-long relentless racial animus" at the hands of a white manager. We speak to Arisha Hatch, managing director of campaigns at Color of Change, which has organized a major campaign calling on advertisers to boycott "The O’Reilly Factor."