In his first mainstream media interview since the controversial post on X earlier this month, Elon Musk apologized on Wednesday for what he referred to as his “dumbest” social media post ever. However, he strongly criticized advertisers leaving his platform due to the increasing antisemitism on X.
“I don’t want them to advertise,” Musk asserted at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York. “If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money, go f**k yourself. Go. F**k. Yourself,” he emphasized. “Is that clear? Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience, that’s how I feel,” he added, making a reference to Disney CEO Bob Iger, who had spoken earlier at the summit on Wednesday.
Disney did not immediately respond to Musk’s comments.
During the discussion, Musk made these remarks with X CEO Linda Yaccarino present in the audience. Yaccarino had been brought into the company to win back prominent advertisers.
In an extensive and somewhat rambling conversation that lasted well over an hour, Musk also expressed that he has no issue with being disliked. “Hate away,” he said. “There’s a real weakness to wanting to be liked.” mainstream media interview
Clad in a leather jacket, black jeans leather boots, and a necklace given to him by a family member of an Israeli hostage that says “bring them home,” Musk added that it’s been “a hell of a year,” and admitted that he sometimes says “the wrong thing.”
A number of prominent brands paused their advertising on X, formerly known as Twitter, this month following Musk’s public embrace of an antisemitic conspiracy theory favored by White supremacists.