Elon Musk’s back may be against the wall as Twitter’s new owner, but he has plenty of friends in high places, especially in the tech sector.
Netflix co-founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings praised the Tesla billionaire as “the bravest, most creative person on the planet” during a wide-ranging session at the New York Times DealBook conference. “What he’s done in multiple areas is phenomenal.” Hastings hastened to add, “His style is different. I’m trying to be, like, a steady, respectable leader up here and he’s just out there.” he added, drawing a big laugh from the crowd at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
With the $44 billion he and his backers put into acquiring Twitter, Hastings said, Musk “could have built a mile-long yacht.” Instead, he “wants to do something for the planet.”
Asked by moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin whether he genuinely thinks the Musk is making a positive contribution to the planet, Hastings said he is “100% convinced that he is trying to help the world in all of his endeavors.” Specifically in regard to Twitter, the Netflix chief added, Musk “believes in free speech and the powers of democracy.”
While Hastings said he remains “deeply respectful” of Musk, he expressed amazement that “people are so picky on, the blue check mark, and yes he’s making a mess of some things. … This guy just spent all this money trying to make things better for democracy and society, to have a more open platform, and I am sympathetic to that agenda.”
MORE to come …
