>> Bill: NOW THE BILLIONAIRE
ELON MUSK APPEARS TO BE BURNING
THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS WHEN
ASKED ABOUT HIS RECENT PURCHASE
OF TWITTER AND OWNERSHIP OF
TESLA.
HE SAID HE IS WORKING FROM
MORNING UNTIL NIGHT SEVEN DAYS A
WEEK.
WATCH.
>> MY WORKLOAD HAS RECENTLY
INCREASED BY A LOT.
[LAUGHTER]
I HAVE TOO MUCH WORK ON MY
PLATE, THAT IS FOR SURE.
>> Bill: THEY DIDN’T BRING UP
SPACEX.
DOES MUSK HAVE TOO MUCH ON HIS
PLATE?
CEO OF THE BABYLON BEE IS HERE.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
YOU MAKE A LIVING THROUGH
SARCASM.
I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH SARCASM
THERE IS TO BE FOUND.
A QUOTE FROM A GUY WHO FOLLOWS
THIS TECH WORLD.
HE SAYS HE HAS TWO PATHS MEANING
MUSK.
EITHER GOING TO GO TO THE MOON
OR SINK.
I THINK LON HAS A PLAN IN HIS
HEAD.
WHETHER IT COMES TO FRUITION IS
ANOTHER QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU SEE THIS TRANSITION
SO FAR?
>> IT’S BEEN WILD TO FOLLOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS HE IS TALKING
ABOUT HIS BIG HIS WORKLOAD IS.
HE IS PUTTING IT ON HIMSELF.
HE IS HANDLING COMPLAINTS
PERSONALLY ON TWITTER AND
RESPONDING TO ALL THE TWEETS.
PEOPLE ARE SUGGESTING TO HIM AND
SPENDING A GOOD PORTION OF HIS
TIME DEALING WITH THIS.
IT’S GOOD IN THE SENSE SHOWS HE
IS TAKING IT SERIOUSLY.
IT IS NOT NON-SHALL -- HE SAID
HE WILL MAKE SOME DUMB MISTAKES
AND STUPID THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON
TWITTER OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS
SO I DON’T KNOW.
I’M HOPEFUL AND CHEERING FOR
HIM.
I THINK IT’S A BIG AND IMPORTANT
PROBLEM.
I AM GLAD SOMEBODY STEPPED UP.
>> Bill: I THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE
CHEERING FOR HIM TO FAIL.
DO YOU SENSE THAT, TOO?
>> OF COURSE.
WHAT HE WAS SAYING HIS GOAL WAS
WITH HIS ACQUISITION WAS TO
RESTORE FREE SPEECH IN THE
PUBLIC SQUARE.
HE CONSIDERS TWITTER TO BE THE
TOWN SQUARE OF THE MODERN AGE.
THE LEFT DOESN’T WANT FREE
SPEECH.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CHEERING FOR
HIM TO FAIL.
THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT NOW.
THERE ARE ADVERTISERS PUTTING
PRESSURES ON HIM AND ACTIVISTS
PUTTING PRESSURE ON ADVERTISEORS
AND HE HAS TO RESTORE FREE
SPEECH WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO
WANT THE CONTENT MODERATION TO
STAY.
I DON’T ENVY HIM TO TRY TO
BALANCE THE TWO GOALS THERE.
>> Bill: WHAT HE TRIED TO DO
WITH THE CHECK MARK IS MAKE SURE
HE CAN RUN THE BOTS OUT OF THE
SOFTWARE.
I DON’T KNOW IF HE WILL RAISE
REVENUE.
BUT SOME OF THE STUFF IS HURTING
HIM.
THERE IS AN ELI LILLY ACCOUNT
THAT WASN’T REAL.
YOU CONTINUE TO READ THESE
STORIES ABOUT ADVERTISERS
FLEEING THE SITE.
AND MUSK HIMSELF SAID HE IS
LOSING $4 MILLION A DAY.
THAT’S A BURN RATE THAT HAS TO
STOP IN ORDER TO SUCCEED, SETH.
>> YEAH.
I THINK IT WAS A LOT OF THE
PURPOSE OF THE VERIFICATION
THING WAS TO CREATE ANOTHER
REVENUE STREAM.
THE ADVERTISERS NOW CONTROL HIM
BY BEING THE SOURCE OF HIS
REVENUE.
HE HAS TO MAKE THEM HAPPY.
SO HE HASN’T BEEN ABLE TO DO
WHAT HE WANTED TO DO IN COMING
IN AND RESTORING FREE SPEECH.
HE HAS BEEN A LITTLE HANDCUFFED
BECAUSE HE CAN’T DO FREELY WHAT
HE WANTS WITHOUT THE ADVERTISERS
SAYING WE’LL TAKE OUR MONEY
AWAY.
HE HAS TO FIND WAYS TO GENERATE
REVENUE NOT BEHOLDING TO
ADVERTISERS AND HE IS PLAYING
AROUND RIGHT NOW IN A SAND BOX
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE.
WE WILL SEE A LOT OF CHANGES IN
THE COMING WEEKS WHERE HE IS
EXPERIMENTING.
>> Bill: LAST POINT HERE AND WE
HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION.
I WOULD PAY THE EIGHT BUCKS TO
GET VERIFIED IF HE CAN MAKE THE
SITE BETTER.
DO YOU THINK THAT -- YOU KNOW
HOW MUSK APPROACHES THIS.
THE GREATEST EXPRESSION OF FREE
SPEECH AND WANTS TO PROTECT IT.
A GLOBAL VOICE FOR SO MANY
THINGS.
DO YOU BELIEVE MUSK CAN MAKE
THIS A BETTER PRODUCT?
>> I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT HE
CAN, YES, I DO.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS JUST
GOING TO BE BALANCING OUT THESE
COMPETING INTERESTS AND SEEING
WHICH DIRECTION DOES HE DECIDE
TO TAKE IT IN.
IF HE TAKES IT HARD CORE IN THE
DIRECTION OF FREE SPEECH AND
SAYS PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SAY
WHAT THEY THINK EVEN
CONSERVATIVES WILL HAVE THE
RIGHT TO SAY WHAT THEY THINK ON
THIS PLATFORM AND DISAGREE WITH
THE POPULAR NARRATIVE HE WILL
FACE A CHALLENGE THERE WHERE HE
WILL HAVE CONSTANT PRESSURE FROM
ADVERTISERS AND HAVE TO FIND A
WAY AROUND THAT TO MOVE FORWARD
BUT I THINK HE CAN MAKE THE
PRODUCT BETTER.
>> Bill: HE LANDED A SPENT