Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and social media X, has been named Bloomberg’s most controversial business figure of 2023. Musk faced anti-Semitism allegations after endorsing a critical post about Jews, and when companies like Disney pulled ads from X, he publicly lashed out with expletives, stating, “Who dares threaten me with ads and money? XXXX! XXXX!” Despite apologizing for his language, Musk continued to attack Disney, commenting, “What would (founder) Walt Disney think of today’s Disney? He’d be rolling over in his grave. Sad.” Musk’s bluster included challenging Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to a fight, later backtracking due to alleged neck and back pain. Musk remains the world’s richest person, with a wealth increase to about 304 trillion won. Bloomberg also listed ChatGPT developer Sam Altman and AirAsia Chairman Tony Fernandes, who attended a video conference shirtless and receiving a massage, as controversial CEOs of the year.
The Pulse of Washington D.C.
