Elon Musk might have ended final 12 months because the world’s richest man, however he seems set to finish this 12 months as its most well-known.
After spending $44 billion in 2022 to take management of X, previously often called Twitter, the 52-year-old billionaire has been seemingly all over the place in 2023.
His continuous posting behavior means there will be an Elon take for each hot-button challenge. Since he now owns the digital city sq. hottest with newsmakers, there’s been little to verify him.
Musk has at all times been outspoken. However his large following on X and his near-constant stream of consciousness posting imply he has opined on: the Russia-Ukraine warfare; the Israel-Hamas battle, the following US presidential election; the debate over antisemitism at Harvard; and lots of different points. Nearly each subject is a contentious one.
Although Musk just isn’t an knowledgeable in any of those topics, he has typically gained the eye of world leaders. His remarks are sometimes reported with out a lot additional evaluation.
That is all whereas persevering with to run Tesla and SpaceX too.
Few company leaders can boast this sort of crossover affect.
Here is how he acquired there.
Welcome to X
Joel Saget/AFP by way of Getty Photos; Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Photos/LightRocket by way of Getty Photos
When Musk took Twitter non-public in 2022, his ambitions for the social media app have been anybody’s guess. Now we have a clearer image now.
The first step in his reign at Twitter has been cost-cutting, and Musk instantly minimize nearly 90% of the corporate’s employees.
The bruising transfer set a pattern for the remainder of Silicon Valley. CEOs making robust selections about learn how to navigate a high-interest fee economic system adopted swimsuit, and made drastic layoffs within the identify of effectivity.
Then, Musk appeared to attempt to remake Twitter, or X, in his personal picture.
Presenting himself as an anti-elitiest, free-speech-for-everyone populist, Musk binned Twitter’s verification system, which had prioritized journalists, politicians, lecturers, and celebrities. Anybody can now pay for verification.
Having axed most of Twitter’s belief and security staff, Twitter’s “Neighborhood Notes” function turned extra chargeable for regulating dangerous or incorrect posts.
Lastly, Twitter disappeared altogether as Musk rebranded the corporate to X.
A political device in opposition to the ‘woke thoughts virus’
Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO) Handout by way of Getty Photos
The billionaire’s management of X has made Musk a vastly influential particular person in shaping the best way thousands and thousands digest information on all the things from conflicts to elections.
On the finish of November, Musk went to Israel to fulfill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog and go to websites devastated by Hamas’ October 7 terrorist assaults. The journey adopted his amplification of an antisemitic tweet, which he described as “the precise reality.”
Earlier in November, on the finish of an AI summit hosted by the UK, Musk shared a stage with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Throughout the dialogue, he described AI as a “magic genie downside.”
Heads of state of nations together with South Korea, India, Turkey, and France have all met Musk this 12 months. In Could, he accomplished a whirlwind tour of China. The journey included conferences with ministers from numerous departments of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering.
At dwelling within the US, Musk has been inviting presidential hopefuls like Ron DeSantis to launch their campaigns by way of broadcasts on Areas.
His causes?
In 2022, Musk stated he was going to wade additional into politics to put an finish to the “woke thoughts virus.”
Extra intra-CEO beef
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Musk has by no means been one to draw back from battle. Bear in mind the diver in Thailand he known as, with out proof, a “pedo man?”
Musk kicked off a entire summer season of beef with Mark Zuckerberg after the Meta launched a rival to X, known as Threads.
In response, Musk challenged Zuckerberg to an MMA battle, that he might or might not have needed to happen in from of a reside viewers on the colosseum in Rome.
In line with some Musk bombast, the battle by no means occurred.
He is additionally fired pictures at Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales over the location’s requests for donations. He is expressed “combined emotions” about Sam Altman, the ChatGPT boss who he cofounded OpenAI with.
Musk additionally claimed Disney boss Bob Iger ought to be “fired instantly” after the Home of Mouse stopped promoting on his platform.
Evidently, Musk enjoys having thousands and thousands of followers at his disposal. However are X’s days numbered? The positioning’s income is broadly thought to have tanked as advertisers fled the platform. One idea: Musk is intentionally destroying the platform to cut back curiosity funds on the debt he owes the banks who financed his takeover. There will not be an X to put up on come 2024.
