Billionaire Elon Musk was roasted for warning pop sensation Taylor Swift of an eventual "popularity decline" after she was named Time's "Person of the Year."
Last week, Swift thanked journalist Sam Lansky for interviewing and profiling her after she was picked for the honor by the magazine, to which Musk responded with the following remark:
"Some risk of popularity decline after this award. I speak from experience lol."
You can see his post below.
Musk's remark referenced his own honor, having been named Time's "Person of the Year" in 2021. Following this, he acquired Twitter, rebranding it as X, and it's pretty much been downhill from there. He faced criticism for engaging with antisemitic content on the platform, promoting conspiracy theories, and targeting journalists and their respective news organizations.
Recently, Musk made even more controversial statements, urging companies to continue advertising on X despite his behavior and telling them to "go f**k" themselves if they chose otherwise. The platform has seen a surge in hate speech since Musk's takeover, resulting in a drastic decline in advertising.
Swifties were quick to defend their pop idol—and point out that Musk has only himself to blame for his "popularity decline."
Swift emerged as the top pick for Time's Person of the Year from a varied lineup of finalists that included Barbie, the legal teams prosecuting former President Donald Trump, and Britain's newly crowned King Charles III.
At 33, Swift, a twelve-time Grammy winner, is arguably at the pinnacle of her career. Her global impact soared as she claimed the top spot as Spotify's most-streamed artist this year, dethroning Bad Bunny, who held the title for three consecutive years. Her tracks amassed over 26.1 billion streams since the year began, as per Spotify Wrapped.
The record-breaking Eras Tour commanded headlines, spanning 24 cities and injecting life back into local economies and tourism, significantly affected by the pandemic's aftermath.
In a significant financial milestone, Swift's net worth reportedly soared past $1 billion this year. Beyond her tour and re-recordings earnings, her Eras Tour concert film swiftly ascended to become the highest-grossing concert film in the U.S. and Canada, raking in nearly $250 million worldwide within eight weeks of its 13-week run.