Elon Musk opened a new front this week. And his adversaries are this time of size since it is nothing less than Apple and Google. In a tweet, the owner of Twitter and Tesla hinted that he might consider producing his own smartphone, competing with models running Android (Google) and iOS (Apple).
In response to a YouTuber who mentioned the possibility of Twitter being evicted from the app stores, Elon Musk said that “if there was no other solution, I would make an alternative phone.”
It is again the latest acquisition of the billionaire who is playing a trick on him. By buying Twitter and firing two-thirds of the employees, Elon Musk has undermined moderation on the social network. However, Apple and Google guarantee the security of the applications they offer in their stores. A Twitter full of extremist speeches and scams of all kinds does not happen with the two technological giants.
Musk challenges Tim Cook
To put his opinion in his pocket, Elon Musk did not hesitate to recall that Apple played into the game of collectors in its store by charging a 30% “tax” on all income generated by applications.
At the same time, Apple has stopped its ads on Twitter. A very hard blow for Elon Musk since only the iPhone manufacturer represents 4% of the turnover of the social network ($48 million spent in the first quarter of 2022).
If the apple firm does not seem to have completely stopped communicating on Twitter (as shown by this anouncement), Elon Musk still attacked Tim Cook in a series of tweets, suggesting that the Apple boss was not a fervent defender of free speech.
Elon Musk is used to being attacked and mocked by his rivals. He and Jeff Bezos have had futile exchanges in the past about conquering space. Earlier this year, Musk called Mark Zuckerberg the “Louis XIV” of the internet because he owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Peaks until then without consequences.
One in three advertisers left Twitter
But since the Twitter acquisition, the front has widened. In addition to the tech giants, it is now the automakers, airlines, pharmaceutical companies and, in general, all potential Twitter advertisers who are likely to suffer the billionaire’s wrath.
Since the takeover of the social network, one in three advertisers has paused their ad purchases. Among the dozens of companies affected, 14 were among the top 50 advertisers according to the Washington Post.
From Kellogg’s to the Merck laboratory through the telecommunications giant Verizon or the United Airlines company, the manufacturer General Motors or the French Stellantis, all their brands are now boycotting Elon Musk’s site.
It’s not unfortunate to put spokes on your rival’s wheels, the automakers are obviously the most active. General Motors immediately ceased its Twitter ads the day after the acquisition by Elon Musk and CEO of the group Maria Barra He hasn’t tweeted since.
Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has gone further by promising to hire some of the thousands of Twitter workers laid off in recent weeks.
By opting for an offensive modus operandi, publicly attacking his competitors who became these customers with the takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk did not measure up to his new status. The billionaire businessman is now a media boss who stands to lose a lot by antagonizing bosses and companies like he does today.
As a reminder, part of the $44 billion paid to buy Twitter is pledged Tesla stock. Stocks that have lost more than 50% of their value since the beginning of the year.
Popularity at half mast
Elon Musk defends his strategy in the political arena. His decisions regarding Twitter would be “a battle for the future of civilization.”
A dramatization that galvanizes her large fan base on Twitter but that makes her lose at the other tables: business and opinion. In 2022, Elon Musk’s popularity in the United States fell 8 points, from 54 to 46% favorable opinion.
Source: BFM TV
