On Tuesday, Elon Musk’s social media platform X filed a lawsuit against a global advertising coalition and several major companies, including Unilever, Mars, and CVS Health. The lawsuit alleges that they illegally conspired to alienate the social network and intentionally cause it to lose revenue, claiming they engaged in a “massive advertiser boycott.”
Company X filed the lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers and the companies in federal court in Texas on Tuesday.
“We’ve been trying for peace for 2 years, now it’s war,” Musk tweeted on Tuesday.
The lawsuit claims that advertisers, through the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, withheld “billions of dollars in advertising revenue” from X, violating U.S. antitrust law.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino stated, “When the marketplace of ideas is restricted, people hurt. A few should not have a monopoly on what is monetized.” She expressed concern that the boycott aimed to deprive X of its users.
The World Advertising Federation, Unilever, Mars, CVS Health, and Ørsted did not provide immediate comments on the lawsuit.
X’s advertising revenue declined after Musk acquired the company in 2022. The lawsuit mentions the surge in anti-Semitic content on X following changes made by Musk and a pending trial against Media Matters in April 2025.
The Responsible Media Initiative was launched in 2019 to address harmful content monetization. X claims to meet or exceed the standards set by the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, seeking damages and an injunction to prevent further withholding of advertising dollars.
The complaint alleges that Company X has become less competitive in digital advertising sales.
Billionaire Elon Musk told advertisers who fled his social media platform Ta.
His profanity-laced remarks began in an interview with the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit, in which he first said he was “sorry” and repentant for a Nov. 15 tweet in agreement with an anti-Semitic post about X. It was done after representing the moment.
On November 15, Musk said that users who mentioned the conspiracy theory “The Great Replacement” were telling the “actual truth,” agreeing with a user who falsely claimed that Jews were inciting hatred against white people. Since then, it has faced intense criticism.
On Wednesday, Musk said he had “handed a loaded gun” to his detractors and said his post was probably the worst in his message history, including many “stupid” messages.
Tesla’s CEO was furious at the idea that he was an anti-Semite, saying advertisers who left X (formerly known as Twitter) should not advertise on X and that they could blackmail him. He said he shouldn’t think about it.
Elon Musk said he had “handed a loaded gun” to his detractors and said his post was probably the worst in his message history, including many “stupid” messages. Getty Images
“Go fuck yourself,” he said.
Asked if that was clear, he added, “Hey, Bob,” apparently referring to Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger, who pulled the X ad. Iger spoke at the beginning of the event.
He said people who don’t like Mr. Musk should consider the products his company makes based on their quality, pointing to electric vehicles powered by Tesla and SpaceX rockets. “I never pander,” he said.
Musk’s comments come as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the rise in anti-Semitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war has reached a crisis point, threatening the safety of Jews around the world and the future of Israel. The announcement was made on the same day that we warned that “For us Jews, the rise of anti-Semitism is a crisis. It’s a five-alarm fire that must be extinguished,” Schumer said emotionally during a 40-minute Senate speech.
Elon Musk holds up a pendant that says “Bring them home.” Getty Images
The “Great Replacement” theory falsely claims that Jews and the left are attempting to ethnically and culturally replace the white population with non-white immigrants, which will lead to “white genocide.”
Musk’s post drew condemnation from the White House, calling it an “abhorrent promotion of anti-Semitism and racist hatred.”
In response to the post, major U.S. companies including Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, suspended advertising on X. A report by liberal watchdog group Media Matters prompted the withdrawal of advertisers whose ads were found next to posts supporting Nazism. The platform filed a defamation lawsuit against Media Matters last week.
Tesla’s CEO was furious at the idea that he was an anti-Semite Getty Images for The New York Times
Following the accusations, Musk traveled to Israel on Oct. 7 to tour Hamas attack sites in the country and spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in a livestreamed conversation called “X.”
Musk said Wednesday that the trip was planned before his message and was “independent” of the issue.
Israel’s Musk opposes anti-Semitism and anything that “promotes hatred and conflict” and said X does not promote hate speech.
Musk enjoys a light moment. Getty Images for The New York Times
“The fact that you came here speaks volumes about your determination to secure a better future,” Netanyahu told Musk during the meeting.
Musk’s wide-ranging interview included discussions ranging from free speech to the environment to the politics of the US president. Musk said he would not vote for President Biden’s re-election, but he did not explicitly say he would vote for his likely opponent, Donald Trump.
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