Elon Musk has always spoken his mind, and when it comes to his tweets, he makes it known he won’t hold back—even if it impacts him and his businesses financially.
In a viral 2023 interview with CNBC, Musk was asked if his controversial tweets could alienate potential Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) buyers or X advertisers. His response was, "I'll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it." He also quoted a scene from “The Princess Bride”—”Offer me money, offer me power, I don’t care.”
The interview came just a day after Musk posted inflammatory tweets about billionaire George Soros, saying he "wants to erode the very fabric of civilization" and that he "hates humanity." Musk also compared Soros to Magneto, the supervillain from the "X-Men" comics. Critics, including Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry, condemned the remarks, saying they had "antisemitic overtones."
When pressed on the criticism, Musk denied he was antisemitic, saying, "I'm a pro-Semite, if anything."
During the interview, Musk also defended a tweet where he questioned whether a mass shooting at a Texas mall was a "bad psyop."
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Twitter's Financial Struggles and Leadership Change
Since Musk took over Twitter in late 2022, the platform has seen a sharp decline in advertising revenue as brands reassess their relationship with the company. His unapologetic stance on free speech has driven away some advertisers, but Musk remains firm in his approach.
To help stabilize Twitter's business, Musk appointed Linda Yaccarino as CEO in May 2023, signaling an effort to regain advertiser trust while he focuses on product and technology development.
Musk also used the interview to reiterate his strong opposition to remote work, calling it not just a productivity issue but a moral one. He argued that office employees should not have the privilege of working from home when blue-collar workers don't have the same option.
"People who make your food, fix your house—they can't work from home, but you can? Does that seem morally right? That's messed up," he said. Musk, who has been in Washington, D.C., since the inauguration, is currently working remotely for all the companies where he serves as CEO, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and xAI.
Musk's political alignment is increasingly shaping Tesla's public image, with analysts warning that his support for former President Donald Trump could be hurting the brand.
Trump announced on March 11 that he plans to buy a Tesla as a show of support for the company, which has faced boycotts and even vandalism. However, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives believes the move could backfire.
"Tesla is becoming a political symbol of Trump and DOGE, and that is a bad thing for the brand," Ives told the Associated Press. "You think it's helping, but it's actually hurting."
Tesla's stock has suffered a massive sell-off, plunging 45% in 2025 alone. On March 10, Tesla shares tumbled over 15% to $222.15, marking one of the worst single-day losses in the company's history. Many attribute this drop to Musk's close ties with Trump and far-right movements worldwide.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, claimed that "Radical Left Lunatics" were attempting to "illegally and collusively boycott Tesla." Musk, responding on X, said he remains confident in the company's long-term prospects.
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