Elon Musk issues apology for antisemitic tweet while criticizing advertisers in crude attack

During a conference on Wednesday night, Elon Musk apologized for a recent antisemitic post on X, but additionally condemned the advertisers who have withdrawn from the platform.

Musk labeled the advertising exodus this month as “blackmail” and warned of potential repercussions. He stated that without the ad revenue, the platform known as X (formerly Twitter) could face closure.

In a controversial move, Musk used an expletive to address companies that removed their advertisements from the social media platform.

He expressed his reluctance to have those companies advertise, emphasizing his stance with strong language. Musk’s statements were made at The New York Times DealBook Summit in New York.

He went on to predict that the advertising boycott would result in the company’s demise and vowed to document it extensively, challenging the world to respond.

X did not immediately provide a comment on the matter.

The recent wave of advertisers exiting X included Comcast, IBM, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

Musk directly addressed Disney CEO Bob Iger, expressing his sentiments regarding the situation at the conference. Disney, however, did not immediately respond to Musk’s comments.

The CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, was present during Musk’s remarks. She previously served as the ad sales chief at NBCUniversal.

Before criticizing the advertisers, Musk expressed regret for his previous antisemitic post on X, acknowledging it as a mistake. He attempted to clarify his position but acknowledged the severity and inappropriateness of the post.

Musk also highlighted a significant decline in advertising revenue since his acquisition of the company last year. Reports indicated that advertising sales previously accounted for the majority of the company’s income before the acquisition.