Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk had a sharp comeback against Don Lemon after a media report claimed that the former CNN anchor had some extravagant demands to host his show on X, formerly Twitter.
What Happened: Musk made several posts on X directed at Lemon after the New York Post revealed that the former CNN anchor had a laundry list of demands.
Lemon Media Network did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
Musk called Lemon a "tool" and compared him to Veruca Salt from the movie "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Salt is depicted as a greedy antagonist in the movie.
Lemon’s demands reportedly included a free Tesla Cybertruck, a $5 million advance on top of an $8 million salary, an equity stake in X, and the authority to approve changes in X’s news content policy.
He also requested a private jet flight to Las Vegas, a suite for him and his fiancé, and company coverage of their day drinking and massages.
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Despite being aware of these demands, Musk agreed to an interview with Lemon for X’s debut episode. However, Lemon was dismissed shortly after, with Musk describing him as "dull" and "underwhelming."
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Lemon’s agents at United Talent Agency sent the document detailing these demands to X’s leadership in December. The partnership was announced in January, but an X spokesperson stated that there was no final or signed agreement with Lemon or ‘The Don Lemon Show’ before the interview.
Lemon, who was fired by CNN last April following a series of high-profile incidents, claimed that he was dismissed by X because Musk reneged on his “free speech” pledge.
Why It Matters: Lemon announced the abrupt end of his partnership with Musk’s social media platform in a video, stating that Musk was “apparently so upset” about the interview that he canceled the show.
Musk announced on Thursday that Lemon would not be receiving guaranteed minimum payments for monetizing on his platform, X.
Despite this, Lemon announced that he would post the interview on YouTube as well as X, despite the fallout with Musk.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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