X CEO Linda Yaccarino addresses Musk’s ‘go f—- yourself’ remark to advertisers

X CEO Linda Yaccarino addressed the explicit remarks Elon Musk hurled at advertisers for the duration of what she termed a “wide ranging” and “candid” job interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin at the 2023 DealBook Summit in New York Wednesday. 

“If somebody’s likely to try out to blackmail me with advertising and marketing? Blackmail me with money? Go f—by yourself. Go. F—. By yourself. Is that crystal clear?” X operator and CTO Musk stated for the duration of the interview on Wednesday.

Yaccarino described Musk’s reviews as an “specific position of look at about our placement.”

“We’re a system that lets men and women to make their have selections,” Yaccarino wrote on X, previously known as Twitter, late Wednesday night time. “And here’s my standpoint when it comes to advertising and marketing: X is standing at a exceptional and remarkable intersection of Free Speech and Principal Avenue — and the X group is strong and is in this article to welcome you. To our associates who believe in our meaningful work — Thank You.”

Disney, Apple, IBM, Comcast, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount World wide and Lions Gate Enjoyment pulled ads from X earlier in November following Musk reported he agreed with a social media post accusing “Jewish communities” of pushing “hatred in opposition to whites.” His opinions drew condemnation from The White Dwelling, which blasted Musk for endorsing “antisemitic and racist hate.”

In the course of the job interview, Musk identified as out Disney’s CEO Bob Iger, who also spoke at DealBook, and stated “Hi Bob!”

Yaccarino was employed as X’s CEO in May possibly. She was formerly the world promotion chief of NBCUniversal. She has been tasked with bringing advertisers back to X pursuing Musk’s takeover of the business in 2022. In August, she mentioned brand names were returning to the system and should sense comfortable putting ads.

Musk apologized for his inflammatory responses on X all through the job interview and told Sorkin that a unique article, the place agreed with an antisemitic conspiracy theory, was “a single of the most foolish if not the most silly matter I’ve ever done on the system.”

“I am sorry for that tweet or submit,” he reported.

X responded to CNBC’s ask for for remark with an automatic response. Disney, Apple and IBM did not quickly reply.

CNBC’s Lora Kolodny contributed to this report.

Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the dad or mum organization of CNBC.