Elon Musk demands Disney boss be FIRED over ad row as he mocks films for flopping

Elon Musk has slammed Bob Iger's second reign at Disney

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George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 08/12/2023

- 13:59

Updated: 08/12/2023

- 14:48

It comes as some firms have paused advertising on X amid concerns over antisemitism

Elon Musk has called on the boss of Disney to be fired in an ongoing spat over advertising.

The billionaire has said Disney CEO Bob Iger should be forced out "immediately" after the company stopped advertising on X, formerly Twitter.


It comes as some firms have paused advertising on X amid concerns over antisemitism.

Musk, who bought Twitter in 2022, told companies that joined an ad boycott of his platform to "Go f*** themselves".

Elon Musk

Elon Musk made the comments at a talk in New York

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In a post on Thursday, Musk appeared to allude to the recent box-office performances of some Disney firms, mocking Iger for dropping "more bombs than a B-52".

Disney was also accused by Musk of advertising on other social media platforms that allowed controversial materials.

He added: "Walt Disney is turning in his grave over what Bob has done to his company."

Iger made a shock return to Disney just over a year ago, less than 12 months after retiring.

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Bob Iger has been credited with being a key force in the revitalisation of the Walt Disney Company

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Musk accused companies including Disney, Apple and Comcast, which have paused advertising on the site, of trying to blackmail him.

Speaking at New York Times' DealBook Summit, Musk said: "I don't want them to advertise.

"If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money go f*** yourself. Go. F***. Yourself. Is that clear? Hey Bob, if you're in the audience, that's how I feel."

X's chief executive Linda Yaccarino said: "X is standing at a unique and amazing intersection of Free Speech and Main Street — and the X community is powerful and is here to welcome you".

In July, Musk acknowledged in a post on X that ad revenue had fallen by 50 per cent.He previously criticised advertisers that had left X and warned that they would kill the social media platform.

Meanwhile, Bob Iger has been credited for a key force in major acquisitions for the company involving the likes of animation studio Pixar and comic book company Marvel.

He was brought back to helm at Disney to steer it through difficult times, as its share price plummeted and streaming service Disney+ continued to make a loss.

GB News has approached The Walt Disney Company for a comment.

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