Why Elon Musk Is Accused of Antisemitism and What It Means for X

Elon Musk has frequently posted controversial material on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that he bought in 2022. But the world’s richest man took things a step further Nov. 15 with a post endorsing the antisemitic conspiracy theory that motivated the 2018 shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, in which 11 people were killed. Musk’s comment and other racist material on X have prompted a range of advertisers to halt spending on the platform. Musk, who’s said the boycott would “kill the company,” has since made an effort to counter accusations that he’s antisemitic.

A post on X accused Jews of having a “dialectical hatred” of White people and flooding countries with “hordes of minorities” — referencing a conspiracy that has motivated White nationalist violence. Musk responded, “You have said the actual truth.” The White House called his reply “unacceptable,” and Jerry Braakman, the president of First American Trust and a Tesla shareholder, said the board should suspend Musk. With 160 million followers, Musk has the most popular account on X.