12 April: Elon Musk is known for his eccentric and controversial statements, but his latest interview on Twitter Spaces with the BBC was one of his most bizarre yet.
The Tesla and SpaceX founder joined the British public broadcaster on Tuesday night for a live chat that covered topics ranging from Twitter’s layoffs to Covid misinformation to his dog Floki.
Here are some of the highlights (or lowlights) of the interview that left many listeners scratching their heads.
Musk sleeps on a couch at Twitter HQ
Musk, who took over as Twitter’s CEO in November 2022, confirmed that he has been sleeping on a couch inside the library at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters.
He said he sometimes works until 2 or 3 am and then crashes on the couch, which he described as “not very comfortable”.
He also revealed that Twitter’s headcount was down to around 1,500 from “just under 8,000” when he took over the company.
He claimed that the layoffs were necessary to streamline the company and make it more efficient and profitable.
He said that most advertisers who had ditched the platform after his takeover are now back, and Twitter is now “roughly breaking even”.
Musk dismisses hate speech and Covid concerns
When asked about how he plans to deal with the growing problem of hate speech and misinformation on Twitter, Musk became agitated and defensive.
He asked the BBC journalist for an example of hate speech on the platform, and then accused him of lying when he couldn’t name one.
He also brushed off the issue of Covid misinformation, saying “Covid is no longer an issue” and blaming the BBC for spreading false information about masking and vaccination.
He said he believes in “free speech” and “common sense” and that people should be able to say whatever they want on Twitter as long as it’s not illegal or violent.
Musk jokes about making his dog the CEO
In one of the most bizarre moments of the interview, Musk announced that he was “not CEO anymore” and that his dog Floki had taken over.
He said he had given Floki a special collar that allows him to communicate with humans and run the company.
He then proceeded to make barking noises and pretend to translate what Floki was saying.
This was apparently a joke that Musk had made on Twitter two months ago, when he tweeted “Just want to say that I have resigned from being CEO of Twitter. Floki is CEO now.”
However, many listeners did not find it funny and wondered if Musk was serious or not.
Musk refuses to discuss his net worth
Musk is currently the world’s second richest person, with an estimated net worth of $189.1 billion, according to our calculations.
However, he refused to discuss his wealth or how he spends it in the interview.
He simply admitted that he is a “very rich man” and that he doesn’t care about money.
He said he only cares about making a positive impact on humanity and advancing science and technology.
He also said he plans to donate most of his fortune to charity before he dies.
Why did Musk do this interview?
The interview was apparently arranged after the BBC expressed its opposition to being labeled as “government funded media” by Twitter.
In a statement, the BBC said it “is, and always has been, independent” and is only “funded by the British public through the license fee”.
Musk responded by inviting the BBC to join him on Twitter Spaces for a live conversation.
However, it seems that Musk did not take the interview very seriously and used it as an opportunity to troll and mock the BBC and its audience.
Some listeners praised Musk for his honesty and humor, while others criticized him for his arrogance and irresponsibility.