Elon Musk Deletes Controversial Post Criticizing Philanthropic Donations of Jeff Bezos' Ex-Wife

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ICARO Media Group
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07/03/2024 22h01

In a surprising turn of events, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has decided to remove a post in which he slammed MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, for her generous charitable donations. Screenshots of Musk's criticism have been circulating online, despite his efforts to erase it from the public eye.

Elon Musk, who was recently surpassed by Jeff Bezos as the world's wealthiest person, expressed his displeasure with Scott's philanthropy, suggesting that "super-rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse" are contributing to the downfall of Western civilization. This remark, characteristic of Musk's well-known provocative nature, prompted him to delete the post, contradicting his usual stance as a free speech advocate.

Musk's condemnation followed reports that MacKenzie Scott had already donated a staggering $16.5 billion to various charitable causes. These donations came as a result of her divorce settlement with Jeff Bezos, which awarded her 4% of Amazon's stock.

What particularly bothered Musk was the apparent focus of Scott's donations on social causes related to race and gender. This observation stemmed from a response he made to an alt-right account that shared similar concerns. Musk, who identifies with a meritocratic ideology, has been a vocal critic of identity politics, claiming it unjustly redistributes wealth to minority groups in the pursuit of economic equality.

It is worth noting that Elon Musk has not shied away from controversial statements in the past, often dismissing potential consequences for his shareholders and customers. However, his decision to remove the critical post about Scott's charitable contributions indicates a moment of reconsideration.

Musk's change of heart is intriguing considering his unwavering belief in speaking his mind, regardless of the financial implications. In previous statements, he has stated, "I'll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it." This departure from his usual stance raises questions about the reasons behind his hesitation to condemn Scott for exercising her freedom to donate to worthy causes.

As of now, Musk stands as the world's third-richest person, trailing behind Bezos and French luxury titan Bernard Arnault. Despite their differing views on philanthropy, Musk's upbringing in apartheid South Africa, where wealth disparities were evident, may have shaped his perception on the redistribution of resources.

The removal of the critical post serves as a reminder that even the highly opinionated Elon Musk recognizes boundaries at times. While he may have unleashed expletive-filled rants in the past, this incident highlights an instance where he chose to think twice about publicly demarcating someone's charitable endeavors.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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