Elon Musk’s Twitter Turbulence: Bad Tweets, Hate Tantrums, and Tech Titans – A Trivia Treasure!

Elon Musk stands as a colossus in the world of tech tycoons and Twitter tirades, tweeting his way into controversy. Here’s the trivial tale of Elon Musk, Twitter/X and The Jews. When Musk, the owner of Twitter/X, tweeted his agreement with a controversial statement accusing Jewish people of “hating white people” in November 2023, major companies like IBM, Apple, Lionsgate, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, Warner Bros Discovery, and The Walt Disney Company stopped advertising on the platform.

For trivia enthusiasts, Musk’s Twitter saga is not just news; it’s a goldmine of eyebrow-raising facts. Let’s unravel this tapestry of tweets, one controversial thread at a time.

1. The Antisemitic Tantrum

It all started with a tweet – classic Musk style. Responding to a post accusing Jewish people of promoting hate for white people, Musk’s reply, “You have said the actual truth,” set the Twitterverse ablaze. This wasn’t just any tweet; it was a controversy magnet, attracting everything from backlash to confused glances.

2. The White House Weighs In

You know it’s serious business when the White House jumps into a Twitter feud. Condemning Musk’s tweet as “abhorrent,” the White House’s response added a presidential twist to the Twitter tale. It stated that Musk’s tweets promote antisemitic and racist hate, which runs against core American values. It’s not every day that 280 characters get you a scolding from the highest office in the land!

3. The Great Advertiser Exodus

Advertisers fleeing Twitter post-Musk’s tweet was like watching rats desert a sinking ship – only the boat was a social media platform, and the rats were major corporations. IBM, Apple, Disney – the gang’s all here, pausing ads faster than you can say “tweetstorm.”

4. Media Matters and Musk’s Counterpunch

A report by Media Matters started the fire, revealing ads cozying up next to pro-Nazi content. Musk, never one to shy away from a fight, lambasted advertisers’ decisions, defending his realm of free speech with the enthusiasm of a digital-age knight.

5. IBM’s Zero Tolerance

IBM’s ad pullout was more than a corporate move; it was a statement. With a staunch “no hate speech” policy, IBM’s exit from Twitter was like watching a dignified dignitary walk out of a raucous party. Following IBM, other companies, including Apple, Lionsgate, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, Warner Bros Discovery, and The Walt Disney Company, confirmed they are pausing ads on Twitter/X.

6. European Commission Joins the Fray

Not to be left out, the European Commission also hit pause on Twitter ads, citing a rise in disinformation and hate speech. It seems Musk’s Twitter was becoming less of a social network and more of a social experiment.

7. Musk’s Clarification and the Continued Controversy

Musk tried to clarify his tweet, targeting the Anti-Defamation League in a move as subtle as a sledgehammer. The saga continued, with Twitter claiming more robust safety controls, a claim as contested as the final season of Game of Thrones. Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Twitter/X, stated that the platform combats antisemitism and discrimination. She mentioned that accounts posting antisemitic material will no longer be monetizable, and specific posts will be labeled as “sensitive media.”

8. A Lawsuit Ensues

X filed a lawsuit against Media Matters in response to Media Matters’ report claiming that Media Matters manipulated the social media platform by endlessly scrolling and refreshing until ads appeared next to extremist posts. X argued that the report misrepresented the typical user experience and was intended to harm X and its business.

9. Musk’s Open Flirt With Antisemitism

This is not the first time Elon Musk has thrown Twitter/X and The Jews into turmoil. Who can forget the time when he went after George Soros or The Anti-Defamation League? After all, it all happened a few months apart.

Musk, Twitter/X and The Jews: A Trivia Buff’s Dream

For trivia lovers, Elon Musk’s Twitter/X and The Jews controversy is the gift that keeps giving. It’s a saga filled with twists, turns, and tweets. So, next time you’re at trivia night, remember: when it comes to Musk and Twitter, expect the unexpected!

🔥 Quiz Time: The Twitter/X Trivia Game

Now that you know all the facts about Musk, Twitter/x and The Jews, how about a news quiz?

Twitter/X Quick Quiz

Social Media Quiz: 14 Multiple-choice general knowledge questions about Twitter/X. No time-limit. How smart are you today?

1 / 14

1. Elon Musk bought Twitter. For how much?

Screenshot: TED on YouTube

$440 billion.

$44 billion.

$4 billion.

$440 million.

In a deal valued at $44 billion, Twitter announced on Apr. 25, 2022, that it had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Elon Musk. The transaction would result in Twitter becoming a privately owned company.

Did Musk drop out of the Twitter deal?

On May 13, 2022, Elon Musk tweeted, “Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts represent less than 5% of users.” On July  8, he said in a letter to Twitter that the company’s “misrepresentation of the number of spam accounts” might be a “material adverse effect (MAE)” that would allow him to walk away under the terms of the deal contract.

Was that the end of it?

Twitter filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery against Musk on July 12, 2022, trying to force Musk to complete the takeover. Ahead of the Delaware court face-off on Oct. 17, Musk tweeted on Oct. 4, 2022, that buying Twitter would speed up his ambition to create an “everything app” called X and proposed to proceed with his original $44 billion bid to take Twitter, which he eventually did.

2 / 14

2. What is Twitter Blue?

Social media related depression.

Jack Dorsey’s Twitter handle.

The company’s account verification service.

The company’s subscription service.

Twitter Blue is the company’s subscription service, allowing paying subscribers to recall tweets, theme their Twitter app and app icon, and experience new features early.

Where and when is Twitter Blue available?

Twitter first launched the Twitter Blue service in June 2021 in Canada and Australia on iOS. On Nov. 9, 2021, Twitter Blue became available in the US and New Zealand and on Android and the web. After purchasing Twitter, Elon Musk said he was considering raising the subscription price and moving all verified users to the paid program. Starting Dec. 13, 2022, the relaunched service costs $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iPhone users. Subscribers see fewer ads, can post longer videos, and have their tweets emphasized.

3 / 14

3. Which of these happened within 12 hours of Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter?

Photo: Elon Musk (@elonmusk) / Twitter

Donald Trump returned to Twitter.

Use of the n-word on Twitter shot up by 500%.

Twitter changed its moderation rules.

The platform went offline.

Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter on Oct. 28, 2022, led to a 500% increase in the use of the N-word to demean Black people on the platform within just 12 hours, according to the National Contagion Research Institute, a disinformation tracking agency. Users were encouraged to amplify derogatory slurs on Twitter in several posts on the 4chan fringe message board website.

Is Trump returning to Twitter?

As of Nov. 2, 2022, Elon Musk announced Twitter would only allow people banned from its site to return once it sets up procedures on how to do so. That includes the former President, despite a fake meme stating otherwise.

4 / 14

4. After testing if his Twitter account was unblocked in Nov. 2022, Ye tweeted what?

Screenshot: X17onlineVideo – YouTube

God is love.

You can’t be anti-Semite when you know you are Semite.

I’m not talking to nooobody for a month.

Shalom : )

After Elon Musk announced that his newly acquired company had restored Kanye West’s Twitter account, the rapper returned to the platform on Nov. 20, 2022. In October 2022, Twitter moderators blocked Ye’s page because of his antisemitic tweets. After confirming Twitter unblocked him, Ye tweeted: “Shalom : ).”

Is Ye still on Twitter?

By Dec. 1, West’s account was suspended after the troubled rapper tweeted an image of a Nazi swastika inside the Jewish Star of David. The indefinite suspension happened the same day Ye appeared on Infowars’ conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones’s podcast, during which he said, “I like Hitler.”

5 / 14

5. Effective Nov. 23, 2022, Twitter is no longer enforcing which policy?

Image: HowSmart.net using Dall-E

Its hateful conduct policy.

Its private information policy.

Its COVID-19 misleading information policy.

Its civic Integrity policy.

Following Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, the social platform made a single-sentence update to its policies: “Effective November 23, 2022, Twitter will no longer enforce the COVID-19 misleading information policy.”

6 / 14

6. According to a leaked memo, only 6 months after its acquisition, what does Elon Musk value Twitter at?

Screenshot: Tesla – YouTube

Twice what he paid.

$50 billion.

Half of what he paid.

$10 billion.

Elon Musk values Twitter at $20 billion, according to an internal memo reported by the Information on March 25, 2023. Musk paid $44 billion for Twitter in October 2022, meaning Twitter lost more than half its value in just half a year. However, Musk acknowledged it as an overpayment at the time of the deal. The company’s value dropped throughout the year as advertisers pulled out of the platform.

7 / 14

7. What makes Linda Yaccarino a trailblazer as Twitter’s new CEO?

Screenshot: NBCUniversal

She is the first woman to lead the social media giant.

She is the first Indian-born executive to join Twitter.

She is the first CEO to clash publicly with Elon Musk.

She is the first CEO to ban political ads on Twitter.

Linda Yaccarino, previously the head of advertising and partnerships for NBCUniversal, was confirmed as the new CEO of Twitter on May 12, 2023. She was appointed by Elon Musk, who bought the platform last year for $44 billion. She will focus on business operations while Musk works on product design and technology. Yaccarino is one of the rare female chief executives in technology. She has often said she was the only woman at the table and faced bias incidents in her career.

8 / 14

8. What did Twitter do in Turkey before the presidential election?

Screenshot: Channel 4 News – YouTube

It blocked all tweets criticizing Erdogan’s mustache.

It endorsed Kilicdaroglu as the best candidate for Turkey.

It restricted access to some content in response to a legal process.

It changed its logo to a Turkish flag with a bird on it.

On May 12, 2023, Twitter announced that it would limit access to some tweets and accounts in Turkey without specifying which ones or why. The company said it complied with the legal process and tried to keep Twitter available in Turkey. The decision sparked controversy and criticism from some observers who accused Twitter CEO Elon Musk of censoring Erdogan’s opponents and betraying his free speech principles. The content restriction came ahead of Turkey’s May 14, 2023, presidential election. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faced a close race against opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Both sides dispute the election results, and Turkey remains in a state of political uncertainty.

9 / 14

9. What made Elon Musk lash out at George Soros on Twitter?

Screenshot: CNBC interview with David Faber

Soros sold his Tesla stake.

Soros criticized Musk’s Mars colonization plans.

Soros accused Musk of being a Russian spy.

Soros revealed that he is secretly a lizard person.

George Soros. Photo: Niccolò Caranti, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

George Soros, a Holocaust-surviving Jewish-born investor, and philanthropist, is often the target of far-right, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. According to a regulatory filing, Soros Fund Management LLC sold all of its 2.5 million shares of Tesla Inc. in the first quarter of 2023. It also bought shares of Lucid Motors Inc., a competitor in the electric vehicle market. This prompted Musk to tweet on May 16, 2023: “Soros is a traitor to humanity and a threat to our planet,” comparing him to the X-Men’s civilization-crushing Magneto.

10 / 14

10. How long was the first Tucker on Twitter episode?

Screenshot: Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) – Twitter

10 minutes.

20 minutes.

40 minutes.

60 minutes.

Tucker Carlson launched his brand-new show on Twitter on June 6, 2023. Carlson’s Twitter show, aptly named “Tucker on Twitter,” premiered with a 10-minute episode, receiving millions of views. In the first episode, Carlson suggested that the destruction of a major dam in Ukraine was self-inflicted, as usual, without providing any proof.

How did Fox News react?

Fox News has claimed that Tucker Carlson’s new Twitter show violates his contract with the network. Carlson’s Fox News contract lasts until 2025. He was the top-rated talk show host on US cable television at Fox News.

11 / 14

11. What did Twitter, under Elon Musk’s watchful eye, decide to limit starting July 1, 2023?

Illustration: HowSmart.net & DALL-E

The number of tweets users can read each day.

The number of cat videos users can post.

The number of hashtags users can use in a tweet.

The number of times users can change their profile picture.

On July 1, 2023, Twitter implemented this revised policy to discourage “extreme levels” of data scraping and system manipulation. Verified accounts were limited to reading 6,000 posts daily, while unverified accounts were restricted to 600 posts daily. This decision led to a digital uproar, with the hashtag #TwitterDown trending in some parts of the world. Not missing a beat, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, saw this as an opportunity to announce their new Threads app.

12 / 14

12. In the digital soap opera of X (formerly Twitter), who did Elon Musk accuse of trying to “strangle” the platform?

Screenshot: Tesla Owners Silicon Valley – X

The White Supremacists’ Web Warriors.

The Soros Cyber Squad.

The Anti-Defamation League’s Digital Defenders.

The League of Extraordinary Keyboard Warriors.

Elon Musk, owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, and part-time digital drama king, pointed fingers at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for allegedly trying to “strangle” the platform. This is after ADL’s Director, Jonathan Greenblatt, tweeted on Aug. 31, 2023, about a “productive conversation” with X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, about addressing the platform’s hate speech. The post was met with backlash by white supremacists, leading to the trending hashtag #BanTheADL. And during this storm, Musk chose to voice his choked-up sentiments about the ADL with a lawsuit.

13 / 14

13. According to Elon Musk, how many monthly users does Twitter/X have?

Screenshot: Reuters – YouTube

Around 3.5 billion – As many as Microsoft’s user count.

Over 2 billion – surpassing Facebook’s user base.

Near 1 billion – About the number of stars Musk wants to visit.

550 million – About half of India’s population.

In a Sept. 18, 2023, live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk spilled some beans about Twitter, now known as “X”. Among the tidbits, he mentioned that X has 550 million monthly users. Musk suggested introducing a “small monthly payment” for X users during the same chat. Why, you ask? To combat those pesky “vast armies of bots.”

14 / 14

14. Which of these happened when Elon Musk tweeted his agreement with a statement accusing Jewish people of “hating white people”?

Screenshot: Lex Fridman Podcast – YouTube

Twitter/X’s stock price skyrocketed.

Several major companies have paused their Twitter/X advertising.

Musk was invited to host a FOX News show about social media.

The tweet was nominated for a Social Media Diplomacy Award.

When Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter/X, tweeted his agreement with a controversial statement accusing Jewish people of “hating white people” in November 2023, major companies like IBM, Apple, Lionsgate, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, Warner Bros Discovery, and The Walt Disney Company announced they have stopped advertising on the platform. Soon after, X announced it was suing Media Matters, an organization monitoring hate speech in social media, for defamation.

Challenge your friends to see if any of them can do any better!

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter

0%

Retake quiz

• Elon Musk Quiz
• Nov. 17 News Quiz
• Social Media Quiz

Still Obsessed with Musk Trivia?

Sources:

We cross-checked our facts about Elon Musk, Twitter/X and The Jews with the world’s leading news outlets.

• The Guardian: White House condemns Elon Musk’s ‘abhorrent’ antisemitic tweets
• Bloomberg: Lionsgate Has Suspended All Advertising on X, Spokesman Says
• CNBC.com: Apple, Disney, Warner, Paramount Global and Lionsgate pause advertising on X