Bill Gates stated on Wednesday that it’s uncertain whether Elon Musk’s $44 billion buyout of Twitter will result in positive change, and that it could instead make the social media app’s problems with disinformation worse.
During The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit, Gates, who recently received a barrage of ridicule on Twitter after it was discovered that he is shorting Tesla’s shares, weighed in on the acquisition.
“He actually could make it worse,” Gates said at the event. “That’s not his track record – his track record with Tesla and SpaceX is pretty mind-blowing with putting together a great team of engineers and taking the people who worked in those fields in a less bold way and really showing them up.”
“I kind of doubt that will happen this time, but we should have an open mind and never underestimate Elon,” Gates added. “What’s his goal? Where he talks about the openness, how does he feel about something that says ‘vaccines kill people’ or ‘Bill Gates is tracking people’ – is that one of the things he thinks should be spread?”
Musk has promised to change Twitter’s present severe content filtering procedures in order to re-emphasize free speech on the network. The Tesla CEO’s frequent combative Twitter presences have been cited by critics as proof that he will allow more rude, damaging and misinterpreting information to proliferate.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, Gates previously expressed “surprise” at conspiracy rumours about him that proliferated on social media.
Even as late as last month, Musk and Gates were at odds. Musk scolded Gates for not closing off a $500 million short position on Tesla, according to a newly unearthed text message conversation between the two tech titans.
“Sorry, but I cannot take your philanthropy on climate change seriously when you have a massive short position against Tesla, the company doing the most to solve climate change,” Musk texted Gates.
Musk later criticized Gates in a tweet in which he compared a photo of the Microsoft co-founder to an emoji of a pregnant guy.
When asked about the tweets, Gates dismissed them, telling the event’s host that they “doesn’t bother” him.
“I don’t think whether one is short or long on Tesla is a statement about your seriousness about climate change. I’m putting billions of dollars into climate change innovation. I applaud Tesla’s role in helping with climate change,” Gates said.
“And I have nothing but positive things to say about Elon. If he makes Twitter worse, fine, I’ll speak out about that, but I wouldn’t assume that’s what’s going to happen.”
Social Plugin