Elon Musk acknowledges his posts had a greater negative impact on X’s finances than beneficial influence

In a recently released deposition, Elon Musk admitted that his posts on Twitter may have had a negative financial impact on his company in the long run. The billionaire also confessed to having a limited understanding of the defamation lawsuit for which he was being deposed. This lawsuit was brought against him by Ben Brody, who accused Musk of pushing a conspiracy theory that wrongly identified him as being involved in a fight between two far-right groups in Oregon.

Musk’s lawyer attempted to keep the transcript of his two-hour testimony confidential, but the judge denied this request. During the deposition, Musk was questioned about his purchase of Twitter and how it influenced his usage of the platform. He claimed that his posts remained unchanged before and after the acquisition, but he acknowledged that this attitude likely did more harm than good. Musk stated that he guides his posts based on what he believes is interesting, important, or entertaining to the public, rather than what is financially beneficial.

Throughout the deposition, Musk repeatedly expressed confusion over why Brody was pursuing litigation against him and seemed oblivious to basic details about the case. At one point, he accused Brody’s attorney of pursuing the lawsuit solely for financial gain. This lack of understanding and dismissive attitude toward the case raised questions about Musk’s responsibility and accountability for his actions.

The focal point of the lawsuit revolves around a series of tweets made by Musk last summer, in which he promoted a far-right conspiracy theory falsely linking Brody to an Oregon brawl between the Proud Boys and a local neo-Nazi group. Brody, a California-based individual, vaguely resembled one of the participants in the brawl. Online trolls quickly picked up on this misconception and propagated the theory that the brawl was a “false flag” operation and that Brody was an undercover government agent. Musk engaged with Twitter users who were further propagating this conspiracy theory, agreeing with their conclusions about the staged incident.

One of Musk’s tweets explicitly referred to a video of the fight and suggested that Brody was part of the “false flag” operation. However, Brody was falsely identified by trolls as one of the men in the video. Despite this, Musk dismissed the significance of his post, claiming it did not have much reach since it was only a reply. He argued that replies receive significantly less attention than primary tweets and that advertisers generally avoid controversial content. However, considering the size of Musk’s account and his public prominence, it is estimated that over a million people saw his reply.

During the deposition, Musk downplayed the impact of his tweet, stating that Twitter has five to eight trillion views per year, making a million views insignificant in his opinion. This dismissive attitude raised eyebrows, as it appeared that Musk failed to recognize the gravity of his influence and the potentially harmful consequences that his words can have. His lack of concern for the harm caused by spreading false information was disconcerting given his vast following and the platform he holds.

In addition to his controversial tweets, Musk also admitted to being the owner of an account called @ermnmusk, where he role-played as his own toddler son. This discovery, which was previously uncovered by Motherboard and other outlets, raised further questions about Musk’s judgment and the motivation behind his online behavior. It indicated a level of immaturity and unseriousness that clashed with his public image as a responsible business magnate.

Perhaps most concerning was Musk’s assertion that he did not believe Brody had been “meaningfully harmed” by the false accusations that he helped spread. Musk argued that people are attacked in the media and on social media all the time, but it rarely has a significant negative impact on their lives. This statement demonstrated a lack of empathy and a disregard for the potential consequences of false accusations, especially in today’s digital age, where online attacks can have far-reaching and lasting effects on individuals’ reputations and well-being.

In conclusion, Elon Musk’s deposition revealed a troubling lack of understanding and accountability for the potential harm caused by his actions on Twitter. His dismissive attitude towards the lawsuit and the impact of his tweets raised questions about his judgment and responsibility as a public figure. Additionally, his involvement in spreading false information and his ownership of a fake toddler account further demonstrated a lack of maturity and seriousness. It is crucial for influential individuals like Musk to recognize the power and potential consequences of their online behavior, as their actions have the ability to shape public opinion and influence societal discourse.



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