Elon Musk has apologized for promoting an antisemitic conspiracy theory and referred to it as “literally the worst and dumbest post I’ve ever done”. The apology came in the wake of Disney and Warner Bros pulling their ads from Musk’s social media platform X, leading to a scandal that could end the site formerly known as Twitter due to financial issues.
This scandal adds to a list of controversial actions that have occurred since Musk’s takeover of X in 2022. Another divisive comment by Musk occurred in December 2022, when he proposed a poll asking if he should step down as the CEO of Twitter. He also recently endorsed a long-debunked conspiracy theory about high-profile Democrats running a paedophile abuse ring in a Washington pizza restaurant.
In November 2023, Musk acknowledged his mistake of promoting antisemitism, calling the post “foolish of me” during a rant at the New York Times DealBook summit. Moreover, he has admitted to denying a request from Ukraine to use his satellite network during a conflict with Russia. The controversial figure has also banned journalists from his platform and, against Twitter’s decision, reinstated former US president Donald Trump, allowing more controversial figures to regain access to their accounts.