Stephen King has once again ridiculed billionaire Elon Musk for changing the name of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Tesla CEO acquired Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022 and implemented various changes, including changing the platform’s name to X.
The author and Musk have often clashed over X, including King’s refusal to approve the name change.
His latest criticism of Musk came by reposting a video shared by X, which showed what appeared to be a computer-generated image of a giant X structure towering over the skyscrapers of an unnamed city.
Musk posted this without comment on Thursday evening, but King wasn’t having any fun.
From left: Elon Musk smiles during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024 in Cannes, France, on June 19, 2024, and Stephen King poses for photographers in Paris, France, on November 13, 2013. Author X’s post went viral on the platform. Read more: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images, Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
“Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter,” King captioned the viral post, which reposted Musk’s video and has had nearly 3 million views as of press time.
Newsweek has reached out via email to X’s public relations office and King’s representatives for comment.
This is not the first time King has criticized Musk’s management of X.
Just a month after the billionaire owned the X, King posted on Twitter: “I think Elon Musk is a visionary. He’s almost singlehandedly changed the way Americans think about cars. I own a Tesla and love it. That said, he’s not great on Twitter at all. Seems like he makes things up haphazardly.”
“Suggestions welcome, mister,” Musk responded. [King]”,” he wrote, using a crown emoji in place of King’s last name.
Another user posted in a November 2022 thread that Musk should invite King to Twitter headquarters in San Francisco to “talk in person,” to which Musk simply replied, “You’re invited!”
The two have frequently clashed on the site, with King again refusing to call X by his new name earlier this year.
“This X bullshit needs to stop,” King wrote in November, adding the hashtag “#ChangeItBack.”
After seeing King’s post, Musk simply replied, “𝕏𝕏,” along with a kissing face emoji.
Then in February of this year, King again voiced his dislike for Brand X.
“Dear Elon. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Twitter. Fuck you, putting your brand on everything. Just because you buy it doesn’t mean you own it,” King said. Post to X During February.
King rose to fame as a popular horror author known for works such as “It” and “Pet Sematary.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, seeking common ground and finding connections.