Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Elon Musk: I will say what I want even if it costs me

Elon Musk: I will say what I want even if it costs me

Twitter owner Elon Musk has defended his controversial social-media presence, saying he will "say what I want" even if it loses him money.

Mr Musk was responding to accusations of antisemitism on Twitter, after his tweet George Soros "hates humanity" was criticised by the Israeli government.

The tweet was seen as playing into frequently debunked conspiracy theories about the Jewish philanthropist.

But Mr Musk told CNBC he held no antisemitic views.

He also used the interview to call working from home "morally wrong" and criticise technology rival OpenAI.


Trending figures


Soros Fund Management cut back the shares it owned in Mr Musk's Tesla company, in May.

But company founder Mr Soros is a regular target of conspiracy theories by right-wing figures in the US.

And the Israel Foreign Ministry retweeted a post from the country's digital diplomacy director, David Saranga, sharing Twitter trending figures showing more than 27,000 tweets using the term "The Jews" following Mr Musk's post.


Former Labour MP David Miliband, Foreign Secretary under Gordon Brown, called Mr Musk's remarks "totally disgusting" and said he should retract them.

But this was not the only part of the interview to draw criticism.

Mr Musk was also questioned about a tweet in which he asked whether a mass shooting had been part of "a very bad psy-op" - a baseless conspiracy theory.

A "psy-op" - or "psychological operation" - is a military term for actions used to target and influence behaviours.


False claims


Mr Musk's words carry considerable weight.

One of the world's richest and most influential people, he also owns one of its largest social-media platforms - where he has the single biggest account, with nearly 140 million followers.

But in recent months, Mr Musk has increasingly been engaging with false or misleading claims on Twitter.

His remark about the Texas shooting - and Bellingcat, an investigative organisation that reported on it - are the latest in a series of such Twitter engagements by Mr Musk.

Previously, he had repeated misleading claims about:

*  the Capitol riots
*  the Ukraine war
*  extremist groups in the US

While Mr Musk often tries to be careful with the wording of his tweets, he has been more explicit in promoting the false claim the Texas shooter did not have a neo-Nazi ideology and his online profile might have been a "psy-op".

This is despite major news outlets reviewing and verifying the shooter's online profiles and Texas police confirming he had extremist and neo-Nazi beliefs.

Some of Mr Musk's recent tweets have been fact-checked by Community Notes, a Twitter feature that allows users to add context to false or misleading claims via a voting system.

Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Musk also took aim at working from home.

"It's not just a productivity thing," he said. "It's morally wrong." And it was unfair some people, such as baristas or shop assistants, had to attend work in person while others did not.


Artificial-intelligence development


Mr Musk also suggested the way OpenAI had developed technology such as ChatGPT was unsafe.

He said earlier on Tuesday that he was the reason OpenAI existed and in the interview added that he had come "up with the name".

In March, Mr Musk was one of many public figures to sign a letter asking for artificial-intelligence development to be put on hold so safeguards and regulation could catch up.

But the following month, he created rival AI company X.AI.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has not responded to Mr Musk directly but appeared before a Senate Committee on Tuesday calling for AI growth to be regulated.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
×