Twitter CEO Elon Musk admitted that managing Twitter and owning it was a jarring and painful experience for him and that it was a nightmare, which he claimed during a spontaneous discussion with the BBC.

In that unprompted interview, he also discussed in detail how the media in the US and the UK have been very harsh about him, and how, in certain countries, the media go after the powerful.

Broadcasted over Twitter spaces, nearly 3.3 million people joined in what was supposed to be an interview, with Musk taking questions from listeners as well. 

Managing Twitter with “4-months to live”

When asked how he is managing Twitter and how he is doing, Musk responded by saying, “It hasn’t been boring. It’s been a rollercoaster ride.” He claimed that things were going “reasonably well,” that use is increasing, and that “the site works.” 

He admitted to certain errors and sporadic site outages but maintained that the disruptions were brief and the site is now operationally sound. 

He also talked about cash flow problems at Twitter when he took over, which led to his decision to lay off employees. He claimed there was a “$3 billion negative cash flow situation,” giving Twitter “four months to live.”

On alleged misinformation 

Musk was asked about the misinformation that was prevalent on the platform. To this, Musk was defensive. 

Musk is pressed on whether Twitter is sufficiently policed, and if not, how this may leave the service exposed to disinformation spreading.

At this Musk responded by asking, “Who’s to say what’s right and wrong?”

The interviewer says that since Musk took charge, there has been an increase in “hateful content” on Twitter, to which Musk responded by challenging him and asking for an example. 

Although there have been several studies that indicate the same, Musk continues to claim that if an example cannot be provided, the charge must be “false.”

“Love-hate” relationship with media

When questioned about the “emotional strain” of purchasing Twitter, Musk responded by saying that the media writing personal things about him is “hurtful.” He also admitted to having an “odd” relationship with the media, describing it as “love-hate, perhaps more hate.” 

“The media can trash me on a regular basis in the US and the UK,” he adds, adding that in certain nations “the media can’t say mean things about powerful people.” He followed this up by saying, that he believes it is good to have a free press in which he and other “powerful people” may be written about in such a way.

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