Elon Musk, the tech mogul and CEO of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), has once again found himself at the center of controversy following a series of comments from host Jimmy Kimmel. On his late-night show, Kimmel made tongue-in-cheek references to Musk, poking fun at the recent controversy in which the entrepreneur was accused of allowing hate speech on his platform and alleged ties to Nazi symbols. However, Musk was quick to respond, offering a three-word response that further fueled the debate on social media.
Jimmy Kimmel, known for his sarcastic style, spent part of his monologue talking about Musk and the recent chaos at Tesla. The host suggested that the entrepreneur was losing control of his business and that his advocacy for “free speech” about X had crossed the line into the permissiveness of online hate.
“It’s funny how someone so smart can make such questionable decisions. Between Tesla, SpaceX and his social media, Musk seems more interested in starting fires than putting them out,” Kimmel laughed, drawing applause from his show’s audience.
Kimmel also took the opportunity to indirectly reference the Nazi salute controversy on X, suggesting that Musk was enabling the creation of a toxic environment on the platform.
Far from remaining silent, Elon Musk used his platform, X, to respond to Kimmel. In his signature style, the billionaire simply tweeted: “Keep crying, Jimmy .”
The response was immediate, generating thousands of reactions in just a few minutes. His supporters celebrated the response as a demonstration of his defiance, while his detractors saw it as a way to evade the serious criticism his company and the leadership of Platform X face.
The exchange between Musk and Kimmel sparked a wave of reactions on social media. While some users defended the entrepreneur, arguing that the press and traditional media constantly attack him, others deemed his response childish and inappropriate for someone with his level of influence.
“Musk doesn’t have to explain himself to anyone. The people complaining are the same people who want the Internet censored,” wrote one user on X.
Another prominent comment read: “Is this how a billionaire CEO responds to legitimate criticism? It just shows he can’t handle public scrutiny.”
The move comes at a difficult time for Musk. Tesla has been struggling with declines in its market due to production issues and growing competition in the electric vehicle space. X also continues to lose advertisers as concerns about the proliferation of extremist content on the platform have affected its profitability.
In this situation, Musk’s behavior on social media remains a key factor in the public perception of his companies. Unlike other tech leaders, the Tesla CEO does not hesitate to respond directly to his critics, although his responses often generate more controversy than clarity.
This isn’t the first time Musk has clashed with celebrities. He’s had public spats with other Hollywood hosts and actors in the past, defending his stance on “freedom of expression” from what he sees as unfair censorship by the mainstream media.
However, this clash with Kimmel seems to be another episode in the growing polarization around Musk. While his supporters see him as a champion of truth and innovation, his detractors perceive him as someone who foments chaos online without taking responsibility for himself.
With his three-word response, Elon Musk makes it clear that he has no intention of softening his communication style. But will this strategy be effective in the long run or will it end up damaging the image of their companies? Only time will tell.