Why Elon's Bizarre Interview Is a Lesson in Marketing

At the time of writing this article, Elon Musk’s net worth is $244.4 billion.

But his net worth might be about to plummet ever since he endorsed an outrageously antisemitic tweet (content warning, antisemitism) which caused several big advertisers like Walmart, Disney, And Apple to stop spending money on Twitter (X) Ads.

(By the way, if they’re still called “tweets”, why is the new name “X”? Smh…)

He’s the richest man in the world, owner of Tesla, Space X, and CTO of Twitter (X). So it’s safe to say the man is a business genius.

However, this past week, he gave a strange interview that I can’t really wrap my mind around.

From a marketing standpoint, I’m conflicted.

I graduated from Howard University with a degree in Marketing, and I’ve built multiple businesses, making millions of dollars over the years.

Not to mention, I’ve built each business with the help of the internet. With millions of followers across multiple social media sites, I understand how the web works and what doesn’t work.

I’m not a billionaire (yet), but I’m richer than you.

And it’s in your best interest to take note of my two cents about Elon’s antics. I’ll be breaking down the good, bad, and ugly with takeaways for you to learn for your business.

Attention = Money

Elon Musk has 164 million followers on X.

In today’s economy, that’s El Dorado. It’s a damn gold mine. I would argue to say that it’s one of the most valuable audiences, if not the most valuable, online.

Why?

Because today’s economy is based around attention. Elon can send out one tweet and reach a billion people. That is insanely influential and powerful. Not to mention profitable.

Learn this lesson and learn it well:

In today’s economy, attention equals money.

Elon knows how to hack attention and get eyeballs on his stuff. He’s studied social media, the psychology of the public, and what gets people talking, commenting, and retweeting.

He’s a social media marketing genius. Love him or hate him, we need to study his methods and patterns.

Don’t Be A Fool

If you’re only focused on making money without leveraging the power of social media, you’re a fool.

Chasing money the old way is leaving a serious amount of cash on the table for you and your business.

Look at Grant Cardone.

Grant was rich before he ever made a piece of content. He was crushing the real estate game long before Instagram even existed. He became a billionaire after he went online and grew his following to the stratosphere.

He constantly posted because he knew it was free advertising.

Will it take time to build your following? Of course. Duh. But the time is going to pass anyway. Post every day. And don’t stop.

Money follows attention.

Where’s Your Head At, Elon?

Elon was already in hot water this past month for anti-Semitic comments.

Then, this interview, where he cursed out his advertisers for pulling their funding off of X, made everything SO much worse.

This is the guy who revolutionized the car industry with a luxury car that’s electric.

This is also the same guy who taught himself rocket science and is sending self-funded rockets into space in pursuit of getting humans to Mars, making us an interplanetary species.

Yes, we live in the same time as this genius. He’s the real-life Tony Stark.

Wouldn’t he rather be known for his accomplishments instead of his emotional comments?

Come on bro.

Why “Shock Content” Doesn’t (Always) Work

Knowing that we live in an attention-based economy, you don’t want to put what I call “shock content” online.

You know what I’m talking about. People doing stuff just for views.

Girls shaking their asses, people lighting wedding cakes on fire, and fitness influencers trying to bench press trucks or dance all cute-like on treadmills.

Sure, you’ll get views, but this doesn’t build trust with an audience.

And don’t be too polarizing. Stay away from hot topics like politics or religion (unless that’s your niche, but tread carefully).

Polarizing content will definitely get views fast, but it can also get you canceled just as quickly.

The problem with content that’s too polarizing is that even if you’re saying it as a joke, that clip can be taken out of context and used on all platforms to smear your name and business.

If it happened to Tate—the most Googled man on the planet at one time—it can happen to you.

You don’t want to be remembered for negative comments. You want to be remembered for your positive contributions.

There’s enough trash online. Post quality content consistently that gives value to the marketplace.

As I say to my students, “Why should people follow you? Are you worth following?”

If you want to grow your following, post dope content. If you can make it educational or entertaining, even better.

But it’s got to deliver value, and it’s got to be done consistently.

Not A Good Look Bro…

Elon is tired and, as a result, losing his cool and getting emotional.

He’s acting out on Twitter (X…whatever), blowing up in interviews, and going to war with the people who can help him and his companies make more money. To me, that’s the ugliest part about it.

He’s got more wealth than anyone, is the head of multiple companies that are changing the world, and bought one of the biggest social media platforms.

His schedule is insane, and it’s got to be wearing him down. But it’s causing him to lose focus.

Anytime someone is spinning multiple plates, their focus is split. If Elon focused on his mission and not these other issues, he’d have more money and he’d be closer to his goal of getting us to Mars.

The BMM Takeaway

Never get emotional when it comes to business.

Elon publicly cursing out advertisers is one of the worst business decisions I’ve seen. Sure, he’s a genius and will find more ways to make money. I’m not talking about that aspect (although I’d highly advise against doing that).

Elon getting emotional meant he was thinking about himself and not his companies. Which means he wasn’t thinking about his employees.

When you run a business and are the face of that business, everything you do matters—not only for profits but for the well-being of your workers.

If Elon falls and his companies ever collapse, what about the people who work for him?

If I were to get canceled, my employees can’t feed their kids. They’re out of work and don’t get paid. That’s my fault, and they are my responsibility. It’s the same for Elon.

Actions have consequences. Everything is about cause and effect.

A leader must be stable, grounded, focused, and the inspiration that the staff looks to during tough times.

Elon’s ego is getting the best of him.

Remember this final tip:

No company or person is ever bigger than the public.

Disney is a great example of this.

The Walt Disney Company is the largest entertainment conglomerate on Earth. Mickey Mouse damn near owns everything. And in recent years, Disney has been pushing the “woke” agenda in their movies and content.

The public wasn’t having it, and Disney didn’t listen. They thought they were untouchable and kept doing their thing.

Disney’s stock price is the lowest it’s been in nine years, and The Marvels had the worst box-office opening of any Marvel movie ever.

Never let your emotions get the better of you. And never let your ego get the best of you. Life—and the marketplace—will humble you.

What will happen with Elon? Time will tell. I think he’s fine for now, but not if he keeps doing things like he did in that interview.

In the meantime, learn these lessons and apply them effectively to your marketing and business.