This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65248502
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Elon Musk: What it's like to interview the billionaire Twitter boss | Elon Musk: What it's like to interview the billionaire Twitter boss |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Elon Musk speaks to the BBC's correspondent James Clayton | Elon Musk speaks to the BBC's correspondent James Clayton |
| Over the weekend I decided to drop Elon Musk an email. He'd just added a label on Twitter to a BBC account saying "government funded media". I thought I'd send him a link to how the BBC is funded - predominantly through the licence fee. | Over the weekend I decided to drop Elon Musk an email. He'd just added a label on Twitter to a BBC account saying "government funded media". I thought I'd send him a link to how the BBC is funded - predominantly through the licence fee. |
| "Is the Twitter label accurate?" was the response I got which came from Mr Musk, rather than a media team. | "Is the Twitter label accurate?" was the response I got which came from Mr Musk, rather than a media team. |
| My editor suggested I have a bash at asking for an interview. Why not have a go, we thought. | My editor suggested I have a bash at asking for an interview. Why not have a go, we thought. |
| On Tuesday lunchtime I typed an email, requesting a chat about his first six months as Twitter boss. To my surprise, he responded. | On Tuesday lunchtime I typed an email, requesting a chat about his first six months as Twitter boss. To my surprise, he responded. |
| "Sure, how about tonight?" he said. | "Sure, how about tonight?" he said. |
| I wasn't totally sure if he was being serious. I prepped for the interview, hoping it would happen - but wondering if it actually would. | I wasn't totally sure if he was being serious. I prepped for the interview, hoping it would happen - but wondering if it actually would. |
| The curveball came just before the interview - when Elon Musk's team insisted the interview should be live on Twitter Spaces. | The curveball came just before the interview - when Elon Musk's team insisted the interview should be live on Twitter Spaces. |
| We responded saying if Twitter Spaces was going to be live, then we'll put it on the BBC channel too. "Cool," he said. | We responded saying if Twitter Spaces was going to be live, then we'll put it on the BBC channel too. "Cool," he said. |
| According to his team, more than 3 million people logged in to listen on Twitter Spaces. | |
| AMERICAST: Elon Musk Speaks to the BBC | AMERICAST: Elon Musk Speaks to the BBC |
| Straight off the bat, it was clear he was going to answer my questions. | Straight off the bat, it was clear he was going to answer my questions. |
| "Did you buy Twitter because a court was going to force you to?" I asked. | "Did you buy Twitter because a court was going to force you to?" I asked. |
| He replied: "Yeah, yeah I did". It was a startlingly frank answer - which set the tone for the interview. | He replied: "Yeah, yeah I did". It was a startlingly frank answer - which set the tone for the interview. |
| A court may have forced Mr Musk to buy Twitter, because he made an offer for the social media platform then backed out of the deal. | A court may have forced Mr Musk to buy Twitter, because he made an offer for the social media platform then backed out of the deal. |
| The previous owners and Elon Musk were set to face off in court but before that happened, the billionaire made a surprise U-Turn and bought the platform. | The previous owners and Elon Musk were set to face off in court but before that happened, the billionaire made a surprise U-Turn and bought the platform. |
| It's the first time Mr Musk has admitted that, even when he walked into Twitter with that sink - all in smiles - he didn't really want it to happen. He'd rather have not bought the company. | It's the first time Mr Musk has admitted that, even when he walked into Twitter with that sink - all in smiles - he didn't really want it to happen. He'd rather have not bought the company. |
| Since he has taken over Twitter, he has laid off large swathes of his workforce and made what many see as unorthodox business decisions including introducing paid-for-verification. Many also say Twitter has become a more dangerous platform for users without enough appropriate moderation. | Since he has taken over Twitter, he has laid off large swathes of his workforce and made what many see as unorthodox business decisions including introducing paid-for-verification. Many also say Twitter has become a more dangerous platform for users without enough appropriate moderation. |
| The billionaire loves chaos and messing with the media. Several times it felt like he was trying to interview me. | The billionaire loves chaos and messing with the media. Several times it felt like he was trying to interview me. |
| Asking him whether Twitter had become a more hateful place, Mr Musk pushed me to try and name specific examples I'd seen. He was enjoying it at this point. | |
| The BBC has previously documented that misinformation is a problem on the platform, yet Mr Musk disagreed. | |
| I pointed out that you can't have it both ways - a platform that allows people to post what they wish without being censored, surely also disseminates misinformation? | I pointed out that you can't have it both ways - a platform that allows people to post what they wish without being censored, surely also disseminates misinformation? |
| But Mr Musk claimed reducing bots, which he says he is doing, will reduce misinformation. This felt like his weakest answer. | But Mr Musk claimed reducing bots, which he says he is doing, will reduce misinformation. This felt like his weakest answer. |
| Watch: Elon Musk's unexpected BBC interview... in 90 seconds | Watch: Elon Musk's unexpected BBC interview... in 90 seconds |
| Watch: Elon Musk's unexpected BBC interview... in 90 seconds | Watch: Elon Musk's unexpected BBC interview... in 90 seconds |
| We covered all sorts of subjects: from misinformation and the challenges of artificial intelligence to his love life and whether it was lonely to be a billionaire. He told me he'd often be swarmed by men at parties talking about projects - and that it was hard to trust people. | We covered all sorts of subjects: from misinformation and the challenges of artificial intelligence to his love life and whether it was lonely to be a billionaire. He told me he'd often be swarmed by men at parties talking about projects - and that it was hard to trust people. |
| His answers were also, at times, absurd. | His answers were also, at times, absurd. |
| In one moment he told me his dog runs the company. | In one moment he told me his dog runs the company. |
| While he wriggled out of some questions, there were many questions he took the time to consider. | While he wriggled out of some questions, there were many questions he took the time to consider. |
| For example, when I asked him whether he believed TikTok should be banned. He told me that while that would be good for Twitter - one less competitor - he was generally against banning things. | For example, when I asked him whether he believed TikTok should be banned. He told me that while that would be good for Twitter - one less competitor - he was generally against banning things. |
| I was expecting at the end of the interview for him to leave as I asked him for "one more question", but he did nothing of the sort. | I was expecting at the end of the interview for him to leave as I asked him for "one more question", but he did nothing of the sort. |
| The interview, initially slated to be 30 minutes, ended up running for about 90 minutes. | The interview, initially slated to be 30 minutes, ended up running for about 90 minutes. |
| At the end he said his goodbyes and went to his office to work. "I usually go to sleep between 3am and 6am," he said. | At the end he said his goodbyes and went to his office to work. "I usually go to sleep between 3am and 6am," he said. |
| As he disappeared we reflected on a whirlwind of an interview - and how none of this would have happened if I hadn't sent that email. | As he disappeared we reflected on a whirlwind of an interview - and how none of this would have happened if I hadn't sent that email. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Social media | Social media |
| Elon Musk | Elon Musk |