Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has publicly criticized Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, following Disney's decision to join an advertising boycott of Musk's social media platform, X. Musk's criticism was expressed on X, where he suggested that Iger should be immediately fired. He further stated his belief that Walt Disney, the company's founder, would be disappointed in Iger's actions.
The advertising boycott came after Musk endorsed controversial remarks on X, which led to a backlash from several major companies, including Disney. Musk has since apologized for his endorsement of the remarks, but also delivered a profanity-laced message to companies that declined to advertise on his platform. The lack of major advertising partners has had a significant financial impact on X, with Musk admitting that the boycott could potentially lead to the company's demise.
In his criticism of Iger, Musk highlighted lawsuits against his competitors, including Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging child exploitation and solicitation. He accused Iger of allowing Disney ads to run on these platforms, despite the allegations. Musk also pointed out the difference in backlash between his own actions and the minimal blowback faced by his competitors.
Musk's comments have sparked a wider discussion about the responsibility of social media platforms in moderating content and the role of advertisers in supporting these platforms. The situation also highlights the challenges faced by new social media platforms like X in attracting and retaining advertisers.
