Elon Musk draws ire after calling panic over coronavirus epidemic 'dumb'
Some followers are angry at the CEO, while others say he is addressing panic behavior, not the seriousness of the illness.
Elon Musk is known for his buzzworthy tweets, but a tweet he sent Friday afternoon drew attention for his opinion about a virus. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla , delivered his message in a concise five words: "The coronavirus panic is dumb."
The coronavirus panic is dumb
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2020
Within seconds, Musk's tweet had been retweeted and liked hundreds, then thousands of times. Less than two hours after it was sent, the message had been retweeted more than 65,700 times, and liked 300,000 times. That's an enormous amount of social engagement even for a huge public figure like Musk. The social reaction drew the ire of people who felt he was downplaying the potential dangers, although others defended him, arguing he was talking about the worry over the virus, and not the virus itself.
This is just the latest example of Musk's freewheeling Twitter behavior, which has landed him in trouble in the past. The CEO called British cave diver Vernon Unsworth a "pedo guy" in a 2018 tweet, and that brought him into court in a defamation case. (Musk was found not liable for damages on Dec. 6.) And a 2018 tweet in which he mused he might take Tesla private led to the SEC filing a lawsuit against him. The suit was later settled, with Musk required to pay a $20 million fine.
This time around, he couldn't have dived into a more headline-making topic. COVID-19, caused by a coronavirus, has rapidly spread across the globe since its detection in China in December. It's now made its way to every continent besides Antarctica. The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a "public health emergency of international concern."
Musk didn't elaborate on the signs of "panic" he considered dumb, and some responded by saying that he wasn't taking the situation seriously enough.
"Let's see how long it (takes) for him to delete this tweet," said one Twitter user.
"Elon this is not a good tweet," wrote economic strategist Bruce Fenton. "People are still not taking proper steps. You are a man of science. Can I set up a call with some scientists to help change your mind?"
lets see how long it take for him to delete this tweet?
— Athan Cowboy hippie (@Athancolorado) March 6, 2020
1 deaths?
2 deaths?
1000 deaths?
1 lawsuit? pic.twitter.com/cHgSlDc2h4
Elon this is not a good tweet. People are still not taking proper steps.
— Bruce Fenton (@brucefenton) March 6, 2020
You are a man of science. Can I set up a call with some scientists to help change your mind?
Seattle here. This is irresponsible.
— Lisa #BleedingHeartLiberal (@Itsagoodlife48G) March 6, 2020
What a jerk. People have died.
Do you know what is like to struggle to breathe? I do. It is horrifying.
I'm totally amazed that somebody who owns a company where employees can't work from home would call taking steps to protect workplaces from a highly-infectious disease "dumb"...
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) March 6, 2020
I was a nurse for 35+ years, concern is real, the virus is real and spreading. deaths are happening. The lack of intelligent information, attention to detail and planning by the present administration has caused a sense of panic in people. Your opinion isn't helpful.
— Hathaway (@marshalotis) March 6, 2020
Can sure tell you don't have a child with cancer or any other disease that would make them vulnerable. Why is it (supposedly) very smart people seem to have no empathy? You disappoint.
— Human Race (@HumanRace4all) March 6, 2020
I guess someone with your type of wealth would consider it dumb. The rest of us are figuring out game plans for surviving a worst case scenario without unlimited resources and money ... pic.twitter.com/ShcYCk8QT4
— SuzanneSays ❤️ (@LoveLaughShowUp) March 6, 2020
Others said that while the disease is indeed serious, Musk was right to point out that panic behavior is uncalled for.
"The panic is dumb, not the virus," wrote one Twitter user. "The virus is a legitimate concern and is pretty serious. But panicking about it doesn't help anything."
The panic is dumb, not the virus. The virus is a legitimate concern and is pretty serious. But panicking about it doesn't help anything.
— Red Panda Pirate ♥ (@MandMs05) March 6, 2020
I'm getting a huge kick out of everyone overreacting to this tweet because they can't comprehend a simple sentence. You didn't say Coronavirus is dumb, just the panic taking place over it is dumb. I can't wait till you figure out how to get some of us off this rock.
— Aaron Quinn (@AaronQuinn716) March 6, 2020
Every kind of panic is dumb. pic.twitter.com/50GjWxyKo1
— Stargazer ✨🤓✨ (@fosco11) March 6, 2020
Panic is dumb, precaution is fine.
— Brody Moore (@Liefx) March 6, 2020
On Friday, organizers canceled the 2020 South By Southwest conference and festivals amid coronavirus concerns. The Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle was pushed back until summer, organizers said. The Seattle area has been especially hard-hit by the virus, and the University of Washington has suspended in-person classes until at least March 20.
