Elon Musk Upholds Absolute Freedom of Speech No Matter the Consequences
Elon Musk shows that he is an ardent supporter of absolute freedom of speech. In an interview with CNBC, he defended his right to say what he thinks is right, regardless of the consequences. “Offer me money. Offer me power. I don’t care,” Musk quoted a passage from the 1987 movie, The Princess Bride.
Elon Musk was interviewed by CNBC anchor, David Faber
Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a wide-ranging interview to CNBC host David Faber. It took place Tuesday, right after Tesla’s 2023 annual shareholder meeting at Giga Texas. Musk took a brief pause at the beginning of the interview to launch the broadcast on Twitter Spaces, which was joined by more than 50,000 listeners. During the interview, they talked about many different topics, opening the veil not only on the facts, but also on Musk’s train of thought.
Absolute freedom of speech is Musk’s life stance
Musk called himself a free-speech absolutist. As the facts show, it is not just words, but his stance in life. Faber asked Musk about his controversial tweets, which often draw criticism. He asked if it would be inconsistent with Twitter’s overall policy when considering advertisers. After thinking about it, Musk quoted the 1987 movie, The Princess Bride, in which Mandy Patinkin’s Inigo Montoya character confronts the man who killed his father.
“He says, ‘Offer me money. Offer me power. I don’t care,'” Musk said.
“You just don’t care,” Faber replied. “You want to share what you have to say.”
“I’ll say what I want to say and if the consequence of that is losing money – so be it,” Musk replied.
Musk is the rarest of workaholics powered by a love for humanity
Musk was interviewed right after the Annual Shareholders Meeting, which took place at Giga Texas. He invited CNBC into a room with large windows that offered a view of the production lines. Musk does not have a private office at the factory, although he spends a lot of his time there. Immediately after the interview ended, he rushed to a Board of Directors meeting. Obviously, Musk’s work days are very full.
During the interview, Musk said he only takes two or three days off a year. He works seven days a week and sleeps only six hours a night. He previously mentioned that his day starts with going through his emails and answering the most important ones. It is not uncommon for Musk to be spotted in different cities around the world on a single day, taking part in important meetings and events.
