Speaking at a far-right political gathering in Rome, Elon Musk claimed on Saturday that advertisers were returning to X – formerly Twitter – after a mass exodus.
The controversial billionaire was the star guest at the Atreju political festival, organised by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Fratelli d’Italia (FDI) party, to discuss the ongoing fight against illegal immigration in Europe and beyond.
Asked about advertisers who have abandoned the X platform, worried about an increase in far-right publications, an increase in disinformation and apparent harassment since Musk took over October 2022, the entrepreneur said: “I think X will do well, and we’re already seeing advertisers coming back to X.”
He added: “Advertisers always worry about their brand… But I think it’s a short-term problem”, also suggesting some of those who left X were infected with a so-called “woke” virus.
Meloni herself, who has repeatedly said she is opposed to “woke ideology”, came to power last year thanks, among other things, to her promise to put an end to illegal immigration.
Speaking on that topic, Musk said he was “very supportive of legal immigration,” saying countries should welcome anyone who is honest and willing to work hard.
He did say that there should be more vetting of immigrants’ credentials, suggesting that it is not possible to assess who met these characteristics without monitoring to a greater extent.
“Let’s increase legal immigration, but we must end illegal immigration,” Musk said.
The billionaire also warned that migration cannot replace population growth. Musk also highlighted the low fertility rate in Italy, a major concern for Meloni’s party and one which may put off potential investors.
Asked whether Italy was a good place to invest, Musk answered in the affirmative, but said, “I worry about the low birth rate… If a company wants to invest in Italy, will there be enough people to work there?”, he queried.
When asked by a reporter that this would be a problem in 50 years,
“It’s a good place to invest and a wonderful country,” Musk said, adding, “Please make more Italians, that’s what I’m saying.”
