--- title: "Elon Musk Whines That Buying Twitter Has Been Emotionally “Painful”" description: "Elon Musk is not one for granting regular interviews in any sense of the word — and when he does, he pulls no punches. In an unexpected and off-the-cuff interview with the BBC, the multi-hyphenate South African billionaire made multiple bizarre confessions, including that he only bought Twitter because a judge was about to force […]" date: "2023-04-12" modified: "2023-04-12" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-bbc-interview-twitter-painful" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # Elon Musk Whines That Buying Twitter Has Been Emotionally “Painful” ![Elon Musk is not one for granting regular interviews in any sense of the word — but when he does, he pulls no punches and is sure to stun.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Hot Blooded Twitter CEO Elon Musk is not one for granting regular interviews in any sense of the word — but when he does, he pulls no punches. In an unexpected and off-the-cuff [interview with the *BBC*](), the billionaire made multiple bizarre confessions, including that he's experienced some emotional pain online and that he dresses his Shiba Inu dog like Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes and [refers to it as Twitter's CEO](). The richest man in the world even tried to score some sympathy points, arguing that he's often being made the laughingstock online. "I’ve been under constant attack," Musk whined in the interview. "It’s not like I have a stone-cold heart or anything. If you’re under constant criticism or attack and that gets fed to you including through Twitter — it’s rough, you know." He went on to admit that he doesn't ever "turn replies off" and removed his entire block list, which, if true, means he's exposed to all of the "negative feedback" coming his way. But we can't help but wonder whether Musk's [often brutish actions]() make him an easy target. Put simply, Musk loves to dish out — but seemingly has a hard time taking it. ## Big Reveal At one point, Musk even revealed what we all had already assumed but that he'd never confirmed. "He confessed today that the only reason he went through with buying Twitter was that he believed a judge would force him to go through with the transaction," Bruce Daisley, who led Twitter's operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa until 2020, told the *BBC* after the exchange aired. "He's never admitted that till now, so it was a very whimsical interview," he added. Daisley — who accused Musk of behaving "like the local drunk" last month after the CEO [bashed a disabled ex-employee]() on the platform — added that this interview both "gave us some insight into the strange life of this billionaire" and showcased that he's pretty inconsistent with his messaging. As with most things in Musk's world, the [interview itself]() has become its [own minor news item](). But those two admissions alone were pretty bombastic — a telling exchange of a man, who only rarely wears his heart on his sleeve. **More on Musk:** [*Elon Musk Buys Ten Thousand GPUs for Secretive AI Project*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()