In a recent interview with CNBC's David Faber, Elon Musk declared that he would continue to express his opinions on Twitter without concern for the impact it might have on his businesses or financial standing.
Faber questioned Musk about his tweeting behavior, specifically highlighting instances where Musk appeared to endorse conspiracy theories, including antisemitic narratives targeting Democratic megadonor George Soros, who is a Jewish Holocaust survivor and frequently subjected to right-wing attacks.
Referring to a tweet from the previous day, in which Musk claimed Soros "wants to erode the very fabric of civilization" and "hates humanity," Faber sought clarification. Musk simply replied, "Yeah, I think that's true. That's my opinion," leaving Faber somewhat slackjawed.
You can hear what Musk said in the video below.
\u201cHere\u2019s an unedited clip (the pause is real) of Elon Musk quoting Princess Bride in response to advertisers not enjoying his antisemitic tweets / enabling of fascists:\n\n\u201cOffer me money, offer me power, I don\u2019t care.\u201d\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
After an uncomfortably long pause, Musk invoked a scene from the iconic 1987 film The Princess Bride, which he commended as a "great movie."
Drawing inspiration from the character Inigo Montoya's confrontation with Count Tyrone Rugen, played by Christopher Guest, who murdered Montoya's father, Musk misquoted:
"'Offer me money. Offer me power. I don't care.'"
He continued, paraphrasing the film:
"I'll say what I want to say, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it."
Musk's reference to the film resonates with the memorable line uttered by Montoya, played by Mandy Patinkin, as he seeks vengeance:
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
As the climactic encounter between Inigo Montoya and Rugen unfolds, Montoya finds himself on the brink of vanquishing his father's killer. In this pivotal moment, he utters the immortal words that have clearly resonated with Musk, "Offer me money," followed by, "Power, too, promise me that."
Twitter users found Musk's film reference to justify his antisemitic rants utterly cringeworthy.
\u201c@NickButler Whew. Now that\u2019s a glimpse. The raw contempt was visible in EM\u2019s expression and it dripped from his tongue, \u201cOffer me money, offer me power, I don\u2019t care.\u201d\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler He could surrender both his money and power to prove he doesn\u2019t care.\n\nI\u2019m guessing he won\u2019t.\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler Goldman the author of The Princess Bride as well as the director of the film and most of the cast were Jewish. Ironic he chose that film to quote. \ud83d\ude2c\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler Incredible, he managed to get the quote and the context completely incorrect\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler As a Gen Xer we don't claim him..\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler Can\u2019t be good for people holding twitter stock lol\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler ....Damn, I quote movies all the time, I guess that makes me a genius. May I have a million dollars?\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler He totally had a staffer holding up a sign behind the reporter so he could quote a movie to sound hip.\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
\u201c@NickButler That is not what Inigo said tho\u201d— Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Nick Butler \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1684278130
Musk's defense of his conspiracy theory regarding the perpetrator behind the tragic mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas on May 6 also sparked criticism.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Musk disputed the identification of the shooter as a neo-Nazi even though authorities swiftly conducted an investigation, revealing that he possessed "neo-Nazi ideation," as affirmed by Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Hank Sibley during a recent news conference.
