Elon Musk, the tech mogul and CEO of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), has once again found himself at the center of controversy following a series of comments from host Jimmy Kimmel. On his late-night show, Kimmel made ironic references to Musk, mocking the recent controversy in which the entrepreneur was accused of allowing hate speech on his platform and of alleged links to Nazi symbols. However, Musk was quick to respond, doing so with a three-word statement that has further ignited the debate on social media.

Jimmy Kimmel, known for his sarcastic style, dedicated part of his monologue to talking about Musk and the recent chaos at Tesla. The host suggested that the entrepreneur was losing control of his businesses and that his defense of “free speech” on X had crossed the line into permissiveness of online hate.

“It’s funny how someone so smart can make such questionable decisions. Between Tesla, SpaceX, and his social network, Musk seems more interested in starting fires than putting them out,” Kimmel laughed, prompting applause from his show’s audience.

Kimmel also took the opportunity to indirectly reference the Nazi salute controversy on X, suggesting that Musk was allowing a toxic environment on the platform.

Far from staying silent, Elon Musk used his own platform, X, to respond to Kimmel. In his trademark style, the billionaire tweeted a simple statement:  “Keep crying, Jimmy . ”

The response was immediate and generated thousands of reactions within minutes. His followers celebrated the response as a demonstration of his defiant attitude, while his detractors saw it as an evasion of the serious criticism his company and his management of platform X face.

The exchange between Musk and Kimmel sparked a wave of reactions on social media. While some users defended the entrepreneur, claiming that the press and mainstream media constantly attack him, others considered his response childish and inappropriate for someone with his level of influence.

“Musk doesn’t have to explain himself to anyone. The people complaining are the same people who want internet censorship,” wrote one user on X.

Another prominent comment read: “Is this how a billionaire CEO responds to legitimate criticism? This just shows he can’t handle public scrutiny.”

This exchange comes at a difficult time for Musk. Tesla has faced market declines due to production issues and increasing competition in the electric vehicle sector. Additionally, Tesla continues to lose advertisers due to concerns about the proliferation of extremist content on the platform, which has impacted its profitability.

Amid this situation, Musk’s social media behavior remains a key factor in public perception of his companies. Unlike other tech leaders, the Tesla CEO doesn’t hesitate to respond directly to his critics, although his responses often generate more controversy than clarity.

This isn’t the first time Musk has clashed with entertainment figures. He has had public disputes with other Hollywood presenters and actors in the past, defending his “free speech” stance against what he considers unfair censorship by mainstream media.

However, this clash with Kimmel appears to be yet another episode of the growing polarization surrounding Musk. While his followers see him as a champion of truth and innovation, his detractors perceive him as someone who foments online chaos without taking responsibility.

With his three-word response, Elon Musk makes it clear that he has no intention of softening his communication style. But will this strategy be effective in the long term, or will it ultimately hurt his company’s image? Only time will tell.