How Buying Twitter Changed Elon Musk's Public Image
Twitter has reshaped Elon Musk's public image from an admired tech visionary into a controversial figure, according to users discussing his acquisition and management of the platform, now called X. Many say the respect they once had for his futuristic projects has eroded as his posting turned more political and more prone to spreading misinformation. Users describe a clear shift in what Musk posts about. He talks far less about his companies and far more about immigration, border control, and free speech, which some read as alignment with certain political patrons. His behavior on the platform is frequently called immature and foolish, and one former fan summed up the mood by asking what the hell happened to the guy they admired just five years ago. Opinions on the platform itself are split. Some users report a decline in content quality, with timelines full of misinformation, hate speech, and gloating from right-wing personalities, pushing them toward alternatives like Mastodon. Others say the experience improved thanks to bot crackdowns and algorithm changes that deprioritize political content. The business side draws criticism too, with the acquisition described as setting 44 billion dollars on fire, and the commercialization of the blue tick mark blamed for removing the credibility of knowing who you are actually interacting with.
