OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Two titans of the tech industry got into a back and forth when Tesla, Space X and Starlink CEO Elon Musk faced off with YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley.
It began when Musk quote tweeted a tweet of his own from March of 2021 when he said “If there’s ever a scandal about me, *please* call it Elongate.”
“Finally, we get to use Elongate as scandal name. It’s kinda perfect,” he said on Friday as he got “Elongate” to trend.
Finally, we get to use Elongate as scandal name. It’s kinda perfect. 🤣 https://t.co/qSNH7lsn72
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
That was when the YouTube co-founder tweeted “Stop horsing around and close this Twitter deal. We all want a happy ending!”
“Hi Chad, long time no see! Fine, if you touch my wiener, you can have a horse,” Musk responded.
🤣🤣
Hi Chad, long time no see!
Fine, if you touch my wiener, you can have a horse.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
The tweets came in response to one of the scandals that Musk has started facing after his bid to purchase Twitter was accepted.
His company, Tesla, was removed from S&P 500 ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Index because “because of issues including claims of racial discrimination and crashes linked to its autopilot vehicles” Reuters reported.
“Factors contributing to its departure from the index included Tesla’s lack of published details related to its low carbon strategy or business conduct codes, said Margaret Dorn, S&P Dow Jones Indices’ head of ESG indices for North America, in an interview.
“’You can’t just take a company’s mission statement at face value, you have to look at their practices across all those key dimensions,’ she said.”
“Exxon is rated top ten best in world for environment, social & governance (ESG) by S&P 500, while Tesla didn’t make the list! ESG is a scam. It has been weaponized by phony social justice warriors,” Musk said in one tweet after the announcement. “.@SPGlobalRatings has lost their integrity.”
.@SPGlobalRatings has lost their integrity
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2022
This week there was another report that hit Musk in which a flight attendant who was hired as a contractor for the corporate jet fleet of Space X said that Musk exposed himself to her years ago, touched her, and offered to purchase a horse for her in exchange for an erotic massage, Business Insider reported.
“Where were these wild accusations against @elonmusk before he took a stand against the establishment?” one twitter user said, which caught the attention of musk and garnered a response.
“Exactly,” he said. “And, for the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue.”
And, for the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
“But I have a challenge to this liar who claims their friend saw me ‘exposed’ – describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, …) that isn’t known by the public. She won’t be able to do so, because it never happened,” he said.
But I have a challenge to this liar who claims their friend saw me “exposed” – describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, …) that isn’t known by the public. She won’t be able to do so, because it never happened.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
“Moreover, the ‘friend’ in question who gave the interview to BI, is a far left activist/actress in LA with a major political axe to grind,” he said.
Exactly. Moreover, the “friend” in question who gave the interview to BI, is a far left activist/actress in LA with a major political axe to grind.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
He said he did not respond to the request for comment from Business insider because “it was clear that their only goal was a hit price to interfere with the Twitter acquisition. The story was written before they even talked to me.”
No, it was clear that their only goal was a hit price to interfere with the Twitter acquisition. The story was written before they even talked to me.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
The report said that he paid the accuser $250,000 and had her sign a nondisclosure agreement, but Ben Shapiro of “The Daily Wire,” himself an attorney, said “That amount of money for a settlement of this sort is absolutely de minimis, and everyone who understands corporate law knows this.
“In other words, when you sue one of the most valuable people on earth and get a settlement of $250,000, that’s nearly always just the guy getting rid of something he considers a nuisance, not an admission of guilt,” he said.
In other words, when you sue one of the most valuable people on earth and get a settlement of $250,000, that's nearly always just the guy getting rid of something he considers a nuisance, not an admission of guilt.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 20, 2022
But it was what Musk said on Friday night that received the most attention.
“Tesla is building a hardcore litigation department where we directly initiate & execute lawsuits. The team will report directly to me. Please send 3 to 5 bullet points describing evidence of exceptional ability. [email protected],” the Tesla CEO said.
Tesla is building a hardcore litigation department where we directly initiate & execute lawsuits. The team will report directly to me.
Please send 3 to 5 bullet points describing evidence of exceptional ability.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
“My commitment: – We will never seek victory in a just case against us, even if we will probably win. – We will never surrender/settle an unjust case against us, even if we will probably lose,” he said as he asked potential attorneys to include links to cases they have tried.
My commitment:
– We will never seek victory in a just case against us, even if we will probably win.
– We will never surrender/settle an unjust case against us, even if we will probably lose.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
Please include links to cases you have tried
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
Looking for hardcore streetfighters, not white-shoe lawyers like Perkins or Cooley who thrive on corruption.
There will be blood.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
“Looking for hardcore streetfighters, not white-shoe lawyers like Perkins or Cooley who thrive on corruption. There will be blood,” he said.
