RM Elon Musk Still Avoids the Big Question About X’s Future

Elon Musk’s appearance at the Dealbook Summit on Wednesday left people talking, not just because of his controversial language but also because he failed to address the one question everyone wants an answer to: What’s next for X?

During the summit, Musk dropped a bombshell — using an expletive to describe how he feels about advertisers threatening to boycott X. He bluntly told them to “go f**k yourself,” a shocking remark that raised eyebrows.

But the real question that went unanswered was what will happen to X if advertisers continue to pull out? When asked if he would use his personal wealth to keep the platform running, Musk dodged the question, only saying, “If the company fails because of an advertiser boycott, it will fail… and it will be gone.”

Musk also ignored another key question: whether he’d consider selling X or even giving it away. With all the headaches surrounding the platform, many have speculated if Musk is getting tired of the whole thing. Instead of responding directly, he spent time defending his controversial tweet in response to an antisemitic conspiracy theory, leaving the question of his exit strategy unanswered.

X is already in rough shape, and it’s only getting worse. Advertisers have been fleeing the platform, and it’s unclear whether CEO Linda Yaccarino can turn things around. Yaccarino herself seems under pressure, with reports suggesting that advertising executives are urging her to step down before it ruins her reputation. Furthermore, X’s own ad sales team has seen resignations, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the platform’s future.

Yaccarino has tried to defend the platform, but Musk’s blunt comments from Wednesday don’t inspire much confidence in her ability to salvage the situation. In a tweet, she said X is enabling “information independence,” but whether that can win back advertisers is anyone’s guess.

If Musk isn’t ready to dip into his own pockets to save X — and it’s unclear if he will, as he’s done for Tesla in the past — it raises the question of how the company can survive. What would happen if X fails? Would it shut down entirely, or could it limp on in some form?

Some have even floated a theory that Musk is sabotaging X on purpose to reduce its debt, almost like burning down a failing restaurant to cash in on the insurance. However, this theory seems like a far stretch. More likely, Musk is simply struggling to manage the platform effectively, making rash decisions that seem more impulsive than strategic.

There have been countless predictions that “Twitter is dead” since Musk took over, with people declaring the platform’s end after every new controversy. And yet, here we are, with X still running, and millions of people, including myself, still checking it daily.

But now, with the situation worsening and Musk refusing to clarify his plans, it’s starting to feel like the end may actually be near. The big question remains: how will it all play out, and is there any way to stop the inevitable?