- Musk made inflammatory comments at a recent DealBook Summit, using profanity when asked about advertisers leaving Twitter.
- Twitter’s CEO Linda Yaccarino responded, saying Twitter is a platform for free speech and welcoming advertisers back.
- Major brands halted ads after Musk’s antisemitic tweet, jeopardizing Twitter’s ad revenue. Yaccarino was brought on to reassure advertisers.
Elon Musk made some controversial remarks during a recent interview at the 2023 DealBook Summit. X CEO Linda Yaccarino has now responded to Musk’s comments.
Musk’s Inflammatory Comments
During an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, Musk said “If somebody’s going to try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f— yourself. Go. F—. Yourself. Is that clear?”
Musk was responding to a question about advertisers pulling spending from X, the social media platform he now owns. His profanity-laced comments have drawn widespread criticism.
Yaccarino Weighs In
As the CEO of X, Yaccarino addressed Musk’s “explicit point of view.” She wrote on X:
“We’re a platform that allows people to make their own decisions. And here’s my perspective when it comes to advertising: X is standing at a unique and amazing intersection of Free Speech and Main Street — and the X community is powerful and is here to welcome you. To our partners who believe in our meaningful work — Thank You.”
Advertiser Exodus
Major brands like Disney, Apple and IBM halted advertising on X after Musk agreed with an antisemitic tweet in November.
Yaccarino was brought on as X’s CEO to reassure advertisers and bring back ad dollars. But Musk’s continued controversial behavior has jeopardized those efforts.
Moving Forward
During the interview, Musk did apologize for his past comments and admitted sharing an antisemitic tweet was “foolish.”
It remains to be seen if major brands will return to X soon. Yaccarino maintains that advertisers should feel comfortable on X’s “platform that allows people to make their own decisions.”
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