Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has come to the defense of Elon Musk following a controversy over antisemitic comments on social media platform X, which prompted major advertisers to pull their ads. Musk had agreed with a post suggesting that Jewish people have a “dialectical hatred” towards white people, to which he responded, “You have said the actual truth.” The comment drew criticism from both the White House and Tesla shareholders, who called for his suspension as the CEO of the electric carmaker. Advertisers such as Apple and Walt Disney have also suspended or halted their spending on X.
Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, worth approximately $2.2 billion according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, has been a vocal advocate against antisemitism. He has often taken to social media to urge his alma mater, Harvard, to address the issue. Ackman’s support for Musk comes amidst the growing outrage over the incident.
The controversy has drawn attention to the rampant antisemitism on X, fueling broader discussions on the platform’s responsibility in curbing hate speech. The fallout from Musk’s comments has had significant repercussions, with advertisers taking a stand against the platform’s handling of the situation. It remains to be seen how X will respond and whether further action will be taken against Musk.
