Elon Musk recently accused The Walt Disney Company DIS of "institutional racism and sexism" while sharing a memo obtained from an unnamed source, now the feud between the Mouse House and Tesla CEO has escalated.
What Happened: On Thursday, Musk responded to a comment made by a user on X, formerly Twitter, that the legendary Walt Disney, the pioneer of the American animation industry, would be "absolutely livid if he was alive today." He was referring to the alleged diversity criteria at the company.
The tech billionaire replied by saying, "Walt Disney would despise Bob Iger."
The tech mogul is in a contentious battle with Disney CEO Bob Iger. Previously, he had called out Iger for suspending advertising on X, the social media platform Musk acquired for $44 billion in October 2022.
The latest spark was a document that Musk posted on X citing "an anonymous source" revealing that Disney has rules requiring at least 50% of the main written characters and actors to be from "underrepresented groups."
Earlier, Musk also responded to a user who had shared an archived video featuring Karey Burke, the president of 20th Television, a Disney-owned company, expressing support for greater LGBTQIA representation in Disney’s productions, saying, "Don’t bring your kids up in LA!"
Why It's Important: Musk’s criticism of Disney goes beyond just their diversity initiatives. He has publicly voiced his disapproval of Iger and foreseen a significant downturn in Disney’s prospects, expressing worries about the company’s market valuation and its performance in both streaming and theatrical sectors.
Interestingly, last year, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, which is owned by Musk, accusing the company of purportedly engaging in discriminatory hiring practices against asylees and refugees.
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