Renowned tech entrepreneur Elon Musk is once again under scrutiny after a visit to Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi death camp in Poland, organized by the European Jewish Association.
The Tesla CEO, who has faced accusations of promoting antisemitic sentiments and conspiracy theories on his social media platform, X, addressed the issue during a conference in Krakow.
Accompanied by right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, Musk discussed his perspective on antisemitism, claiming he was "naive" about the extent of the problem. Musk asserted that he considered himself "Jewish by association" due to having a significant number of Jewish friends.
He mentioned having "twice as many Jewish friends as non-Jewish friends" and expressed astonishment at the idea of antisemitism being prevalent in his social circles.
The controversial tech mogul, known for his outspoken views on various platforms, went on to criticize what he referred to as "pro-Hamas rallies" on "elite college campuses," emphasizing that fostering hate should not be tolerated among university students.
Musk's social media platform, X, previously known as a free speech platform, has faced criticism for allegedly allowing hate speech. In September, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a report highlighting "virulent antisemitism" on X, prompting Musk to threaten legal action against the organization.
The Tesla CEO's endorsement of a post on X in November, which accused Jewish communities of promoting hate against white people, further fueled the controversy. The post referenced the "great replacement" theory embraced by white nationalists, suggesting that nonwhite populations would replace white populations. This led to major companies, including Apple, Disney, and IBM, pulling their advertisements from X.
Despite subsequent apologies from Musk during the New York Times DealBook Summit, where he expressed regret for the controversial posts, he also defiantly told advertisers to "go [expletive] yourself."
