Kaylah Walton
On September 13, ‘laSexta Columna’ presented a segment focusing on tech magnate Elon Musk. As the owner of X, previously known as Twitter, he is one of the wealthiest individuals globally and a prominent advocate for free speech, having significantly reduced censorship on the platform compared to its former management.
The program also highlighted Musk’s challenging upbringing. Growing up in South Africa, he describes the environment as “very violent,” recalling experiences where he felt his life was in danger: “Once I almost died. So many times and if you haven’t been punched in the face you don’t know what it’s like, you have no idea what it’s like.”
Musk has shared this narrative on multiple occasions, mentioning his father as someone with “serious problems.” In a Rolling Stone interview, he referred to his father as a “horrible human being,” reflecting on a past filled with bullying and a troubled family environment, which still affects him today.
During the La Sexta broadcast, various analysts expressed their views on Musk’s influence in the realm of social media. Javi Salas, who oversees the technology section at El Pais, remarked that Musk is reminiscent of a student who was bullied and now finds himself as the dominant figure in the “playground” of Twitter.
“Elon Musk has become the main bully in that schoolyard that is X.”
Moreover, he noted in a surprising analysis that rather than addressing his past bullying, Musk has transformed into the predominant aggressor within this social media “schoolyard.”
Journalist Marta Garcia Aller also contributed a controversial opinion, stating that Musk’s sentiment of being a victim due to his background as a white male in apartheid-era South Africa may not be justified. “It would help to revise the narrative of the self-made man who often carries a victim complex to enhance his story,” she suggested.
