Elon Musk does not keep his feelings to himself.
Last week, Musk had a social media meltdown as he posted through his breakup on X with his once-close ally President Donald Trump, insulting Trump’s “disgusting” policy bill, his “ingratitude,” and his fitness for office in real-time by sharing, reposting or replying about three posts per minute for three hours on Thursday afternoon.
It was an extraordinary public escalation from someone who once called himself Trump’s “first buddy,” but going through daily chaotic bursts of posting is normal for Musk. Musk is the world’s richest man who is also the CEO of four companies, but he finds time to regularly fire off dozens of posts on X, the platform he owns.
When Musk lashes out online, his words can tank financial markets, a unique kind of power. Tesla’s stock plunged 14% on Thursday, its biggest decline in almost three months, following Musk’s public fight against Trump. But the behavior of airing grievances online in real-time for all to see is not unique to just Musk.
“Lots of people ‘post through it’ beyond public figures,” said Ysabel Gerrard, a senior lecturer in digital media at the University of Sheffield. “What’s so deeply fascinating about Elon’s behaviors ― and what makes them quite unique ― is that they have serious political ramifications but also resonate with us, as we all follow people who are ‘extremely online.’”
