Elon Musk calls for Disney CEO Bob Iger to be fired. And here’s why

San Francisco:

Elon Musk has called for Disney CEO Bob Iger to be fired in response to Disney’s decision to pull ads from his troubled social media platform, X, CNN reports.

On Thursday, Musk, the owner of X and a billionaire conspiracy theorist, took to social media, where he frequently voices his opinions, to express his displeasure with Iger’s actions.

Mr Musk, known for using his influential platform to confront critics, announced that Iger should be immediately removed from his role, saying: “He should be fired immediately. Walt Disney is turning in his grave over what Bob did to his company.”

Disney representatives have not yet responded to Mr. Musk’s call to terminate Iger’s employment. Iger is widely known for guiding Disney toward entertainment dominance through strategic acquisitions, including Star Wars, Marvel Studios and Pixar, according to CNN.

Disney, like many other major companies, halted advertising on X last month after Musk endorsed an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory favored by white supremacists. Musk made an implicit apology for the post last week, but at the same time delivered a profanity-laced message to companies that chose to avoid advertising on his social media platform.

At the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Musk directed his ire at Iger, criticizing the Disney CEO for his decision to halt advertising on X, and pointing to Musk as the reason. Iger explained that the association with Elon Musk and X was not seen as a positive for Disney.

“We felt that the association with…Elon Musk and X was not necessarily a positive thing for us,” CNN quoted Iger as saying.

The move to halt ads coincides with a broader trend on X since Musk took control in late 2022. His decisions have contributed to a rise in hate speech, misinformation and conspiracy theories on the platform.

According to a CNN report, Elon Musk himself played a role in promoting toxicity on X, including promoting the false and dangerous Pizzagate conspiracy theory. The lack of major advertising partners has severely impacted X’s finances, as the platform relies heavily on advertising revenue. Mr. Musk admitted at the DealBook Summit that the ongoing advertising boycott would likely lead to his company’s demise.

“What this ad boycott will do is kill the company,” Elon Musk said bluntly.

Despite Company X’s financial challenges, Musk has not taken personal responsibility for the situation, blaming advertisers and suggesting they would be responsible for Company

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)