Elon Musk, the tech mogul and CEO of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), is once again at the center of controversy following a series of comments from host Jimmy Kimmel.
On his late night show, Kimmel made ironic references to Musk, poking fun at the recent controversy in which the entrepreneur was accused of allowing hate speech on his platform and alleged links to Nazi symbolism. However, Musk did not take long to respond, and did so with a three-word phrase that has further fueled the debate on social media.
Jimmy Kimmel, known for his sarcastic style, devoted part of his monologue to talking about Musk and the recent chaos at Tesla. The host hinted that the entrepreneur was losing control of his businesses and that his defense of “free speech” on X had crossed the line into permissiveness of online hate.
“It’s funny how someone so smart can make such questionable decisions. Between Tesla, SpaceX, and his social network, Musk seems more interested in starting fires than putting them out,” Kimmel joked, earning applause from his studio audience.
Kimmel also took the opportunity to make an indirect reference to the controversy over Nazi salutes on X, suggesting that Musk was allowing a toxic environment to thrive on the platform.
Far from remaining silent, Elon Musk used his own platform, X, to respond to Kimmel. With his characteristic style, the billionaire tweeted simply: “Keep crying, Jimmy.”
The response was immediate, generating thousands of reactions within minutes. His followers celebrated the reply as a display of his defiant attitude, while his critics saw it as an evasion of the serious criticisms facing his company and his management of X.
The exchange between Musk and Kimmel sparked a wave of reactions on social media. While some users defended the entrepreneur, claiming that the press and traditional media constantly attack him, others considered his response childish and inappropriate for someone of his influence.
“Musk doesn’t have to explain himself to anyone. The people complaining are the same ones who want censorship on the Internet,” one user wrote on X.
On the other hand, another highlighted comment said: “Is this how a billionaire CEO responds to legitimate criticism? This just shows he can’t handle public scrutiny.”
This exchange comes at a complicated time for Musk. Tesla has faced market declines due to production problems and growing competition in the electric vehicle sector. Additionally, X continues to lose advertisers over concerns about the proliferation of extremist content on the platform, affecting its profitability.
Amid this situation, Musk’s behavior on social media remains a key factor in public perception of his companies. Unlike other tech leaders, the Tesla CEO does not hesitate to respond directly to his critics, even if his replies often generate more controversy than clarity.
This is not the first time Musk has clashed with entertainment figures. In the past, he has had public disputes with other hosts and Hollywood actors, defending his stance on “free speech” against what he considers unfair censorship by traditional media.
However, this clash with Kimmel seems to be another episode in the growing polarization surrounding Musk. While his supporters see him as a defender of truth and innovation, his detractors view him as someone who promotes online chaos without taking responsibility.
With his three-word response, Elon Musk makes it clear he has no intention of softening his communication style. But will this strategy be effective in the long run, or will it end up harming the image of his companies? Only time will tell.
