Billionaire Elon Musk isn't shy to speak his mind.
And he's had some choice words for advertisers who've paused spending on his social media platform X over concerns of antisemitism.
On Wednesday, speaking an event in New York, he apologised for a post from his own account that some considered antisemitic, and also accused companies who are boycotting advertising on X of 'trying to blackmail' him.
Companies and brands like Disney, Apple and IBM stopped advertising on X this month after a report by liberal advocacy group Media Matters said ads were appearing alongside pro-Nazi content and white nationalist posts.
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Asked about the advertising boycott on stage at the The New York Times DealBook Summit, he did not mince his words.
"I don't want them to advertise," Musk said, adding: "If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money go f**k yourself".
He also appeared to reference Disney boss Bob Iger, who had appeared at the summit, saying: "Go. F**k. Yourself. Is that clear? Hey Bob, if you're in the audience, that's how I feel."
The SpaceX boss said that the advertising boycott is "going to kill the company", and BBC News reports he added: "The whole world will know those advertisers killed the company, and we will document it in great detail."
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Earlier this week Musk visited Israel and toured a kibbutz which was attacked by Hamas militants.
He met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and also joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a tour of the Kfar Aza kibbutz, near the Gaza frontier, which was attacked by Hamas militants in early October.
X is suing Media Matters, saying the report it released would “drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.”
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Media Matters has branded the lawsuit “frivolous", with the organisation’s president Angelo Carusone saying in a statement: "This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X’s critics into silence."
October 27 marked the first anniversary of the billionaire’s $44 billion (£36 billion) takeover of social media giant, X.
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