Elon Musk, CEO of X Corp (formerly known as Twitter), has been embroiled in controversy over his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk's endorsement of a tweet that perpetuated a false stereotype about Jewish people led to a massive backlash, with several high-profile companies, including Apple, IBM, and Disney, pulling their advertising from X Corp.
In response to the outrage, Musk threatened to file a "thermonuclear lawsuit" against Media Matters, a media watchdog group that had reported on his endorsement of the antisemitic tweet. The threat of legal action from Musk led to further criticism and calls for his resignation. However, some conservatives, including former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, came to Musk's defense, condemning his endorsement of the antisemitic post but also criticizing the media for its bias.
The controversy has had a significant impact on X Corp's ad revenue, with an exodus of advertisers expected to deeply impact the company's revenue. Apple, in particular, announced that it would pause its advertising on X Corp in response to Musk's endorsement of the antisemitic tweet. Tesla investors have also called for Musk's suspension over the accusations of antisemitism.
In addition to the fallout from advertisers and investors, there has been political fallout as well. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refused to condemn Musk for endorsing the antisemitic post, leading to criticism from Senator Richard Blumenthal, who called Tesla "CEO turned X (Corp) into a cesspool of hate speech". The Biden administration also criticized Musk, slamming his endorsement of a "hideous lie about Jewish people".
The controversy surrounding Musk and X Corp has sparked a wider discussion about the responsibility of social media platforms and their CEOs in curbing the spread of hate speech and misinformation. The situation has also raised questions about the role of advertising in supporting or dissociating from platforms that enable hate speech.
As the backlash continues to grow, the future of X Corp, its advertising revenue, and Elon Musk's leadership remain uncertain, with calls for his resignation and legal consequences looming over the controversy.
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