Elon Musk atThe New York TimesDealbook Summit 2023.Photo:Slaven Vlasic/Getty

Elon Musk speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 29, 2023 in New York City.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty

Elon Muskis sharing his thoughts on advertisers pulling their ads from X.

Musk’sresponse to the companies: “Don’t advertise.”

“If somebody’s going to try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f— yourself. Go. F—. Yourself. Is that clear? I hope it is,” he continued.

Elon Musk speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 29, 2023 in New York City.Slaven Vlasic/Getty

Elon Musk speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 29, 2023 in New York City.

The tech CEO then appeared to call out Disney CEO Bob Iger in particular, saying, “Hey Bob, if you’re here in the audience.” He then added, “That’s how I feel.”

Andrew Ross Sorkin and Elon Musk speak onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 29, 2023 in New York City.Slaven Vlasic/Getty

Andrew Ross Sorkin and Elon Musk speak onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 29, 2023 in New York City.

“By him taking the position that he took in quite a public manner, we just felt that the association with that position and Elon Musk and X was not necessarily a positive one for us. And we decided we would pull our advertising,” the Disney CEO said during a Q&A.

“Today @elonmusk gave a wide ranging and candid interview at @dealbook 2023. He also offered an apology, an explanation and an explicit point of view about our position,” shewrote on the platform.

“X is enabling an information independence that’s uncomfortable for some people. We’re a platform that allows people to make their own decisions,” she continued. “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.”

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Earlier this month, Musk endorsed a post on X falsely claiming that Jewish people were stoking hatred against White people, which several companies — andeven the White House— have criticized for being antisemitic.

“It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of Antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates in response to the post. “We condemn this abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms, which runs against our core values as Americans.”

IBM also suspended its ads on Xafter the company’s corporate ads appeared next to pro-Nazi content, according to the BBC.

source: people.com