In the midst of an over-the-weekend spat between podcast host Joe Rogan, vaccine expert Dr. Peter Hotez, Elon Musk, and others, “Shark Tank” regular Mark Cuban took the opportunity to pitch his healthcare company CostPlusDrugs to Musk.
The Twitter feud, sparked by Rogan’s interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may have taken a surprising turn towards potential corporate partnerships.
What Happened: The argument was initially sparked by Rogan’s invitation to Dr. Hotez to debate with RFK Jr. on the widely-followed podcast. Rogan extended the invitation after Hotez criticized him for providing Kennedy with a platform to disseminate what Hotez described as “misinformation” about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Rogan, countering the criticism, offered to donate $100,000 to a charity of Hotez’s choice should the scientist agree to participate in the proposed debate — others chimed in with donation offers to make the debate happen, ballooning the total to at least $260,000.
Related: Joe Rogan Leads Wager For Debate Between Vaccine Scientist And Robert Kennedy Jr., Elon Musk And Bill Ackman Chime In
The offer was met with criticism from various quarters, including Musk, who quickly interjected. The Tesla Inc TSLA CEO suggested that Hotez was reluctant to participate in the debate over fears of public scrutiny, tweeting, “Maybe @PeterHotez just hates charity."
As the argument continued to escalate, Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, stepped into the fray. Cuban defended Hotez’s work and called out both Rogan and Musk for their self-interested motives. According to Cuban, the pair were behaving similarly to the mainstream media (MSM) they often criticize, driven by their interests rather than a commitment to uncovering truth.
Their “platforms have become everything supposedly wrong with MSM. You are driven by self interest. Just like the MSM always has been accused of,” Cuban tweeted at Rogan in defense of Hotez.
The conversation took a twist when Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, questioned Cuban about why his company did not carry Ivermectin, a drug that was found to be ineffective, but controversially touted as a treatment for Covid-19. Musk seconded Bowden, saying, “good question.”
Cuban, reflecting his entrepreneurial spirit, then pitched CostPlusDrugs to Musk, suggesting that Musk’s myriad companies would benefit from CostPlusDrugs’ services, which are aimed at providing safe and affordable medication.
"You should have your employees use us," Cuban said to Musk. "It will save them and
@twitter a f*** ton of money."
Musk responded positively, saying he would ask Tesla and SpaceX to explore Cuban’s proposal.
In response to Bowden, however, Cuban explained that the pricing for Ivermectin through CostPlusDrugs was higher than other sources, hence its absence from the company’s offerings.
Photo: Gage Skidmore on flicker and Shutterstock
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