SAN FRANCISCO – As major Western corporations continue to pull their ad spending from X (formerly Twitter), a surprising new player has stepped in to fill the void: Russian state media.
According to leaked internal reports, Kremlin-backed outlets such as RT, Sputnik, and several mysteriously vague “independent news sources” have now become X’s largest advertising partners, pumping millions into Musk’s social media empire.
While critics argue that this could be a major reputational risk, Elon Musk dismissed concerns entirely, insisting that “all viewpoints should be heard”, regardless of whether they are sanctioned, factually questionable, or openly designed to undermine democracy.
“Look, if CNN and the BBC don’t want to advertise anymore, I can’t force them,” Musk explained in a livestream from his Tesla-powered bunker. “But if Russia Today is willing to pay top dollar to promote whatever they want, that’s their right. Free speech, folks. Free speech.”
X’s New Business Model: If It Pays, It Stays
According to X’s latest revenue breakdown, over 40% of all ad spending on the platform now comes from sources linked to Russian state media.
- Traditional brands such as Apple, Disney, and IBM have pulled their campaigns, citing concerns over X’s increasingly toxic content moderation policies.
- In their place, Russian-backed news agencies have dramatically increased ad spending, running sponsored posts with headlines like:
- “The West Is Collapsing – Here’s Why You Should Trust Moscow Instead”
- “Breaking: Russia Invents First Ever Democracy – Why the U.S. Can’t Keep Up”
- “Elon Musk: The Only Western Billionaire We Respect”
Despite growing pressure from watchdog organizations, X executives refuse to take action, arguing that “it’s not our job to fact-check anything – we’re just here to take the money.”
Western Governments React: “What The Hell Is Happening?”
Officials in Washington, London, and Brussels have reacted with disbelief at the news that Russia’s disinformation machine is now openly funding one of the biggest social media platforms in the world.
- “This is beyond reckless,” said one EU commissioner. “X is now literally profiting from state-sponsored misinformation. We’re witnessing a dystopian future unfold in real-time.”
- The White House reportedly held emergency talks, with officials debating whether they should start buying ad space themselves just to counteract the propaganda.
- NATO, in a rare move, released a statement clarifying that “no, Ukraine is not invading Russia”, after X promoted multiple ads suggesting otherwise.
Meanwhile, Russian officials are thrilled with the development.
“It is good to see Western tech embracing true free speech,” said a Kremlin spokesperson. “Finally, the world can hear our side of the story. And Elon? He is a good man. A very, very good man.”
Musk’s Final Defense: “Money Is Money”
Despite the backlash, Elon Musk continues to defend his platform’s new financial model, arguing that “if a company is willing to pay, then clearly their content is valuable to someone.”
“Look, it’s simple. If the U.S. government has a problem with this, they’re welcome to outbid Russia,” Musk said. “Otherwise, I don’t see an issue.”
At press time, X’s algorithm had begun automatically pushing pro-Kremlin ads to American users, leading to widespread confusion as former Tesla owners suddenly started questioning whether Vladimir Putin might, in fact, be the last true defender of Western civilization.
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