Musk's video lemon

Hey all, it’s Kurt Wagner in Denver. Elon Musk got the Don Lemon treatment, but first…Three things you need to know today:• Nvidia released [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hey all, it’s Kurt Wagner in Denver. Elon Musk got the Don Lemon treatment, but first… Three things you need to know today: • Nvidia released its most [powerful chip yet for artificial intelligence]( • Encyclopaedia Britannica seeks [$1 billion valuation in IPO]( • Alibaba appointed a new head of the [grocery arm FreshippoÂ]( X’s Sour Lemon When it comes to the success of X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, I’ve often said that Elon Musk is his own worst enemy. Whether he’s posting conspiracy theories, making misogynistic comments or blasting advertisers with expletives, it just seems like Musk loves making life unnecessarily hard on his business. So it should be no surprise that X’s latest fiasco – this one concerning former CNN anchor Don Lemon – appears to be more of the same. The short backstory: In January, [X announced a series of new, exclusive video shows]( on the platform, including a three-times-per-week half-hour program called The Don Lemon Show. The first episode of that show, which aired on Monday, featured a sit-down interview between Lemon and Musk at a Tesla Inc. facility. But shortly after the interview was taped, Musk abruptly canceled X’s exclusive deal with Lemon. Lemon claims Musk bailed on the deal because he didn’t like getting tough questions. Musk says the decision was related more to the show’s format. Lemon’s “approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media,’” Musk said in a post last week, “which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying.” In any case, X’s most prominent media partnership is now over before it ever really started. I found Musk’s explanation for the change of heart unconvincing. Are we supposed to believe the company agreed to a big, splashy media deal without actually discussing what The Don Lemon Show would look like? I also imagine that Musk knew the show’s format before he ever agreed to sit with Lemon for an hourlong interview. Lemon suggested as much, needling Musk after claiming he canceled the deal because of the format. “You weren’t nearly so skeptical when you and your CEO were asking me to exclusively partner with you,” Lemon said [in a post on X](. Even less convincing, though, is that X’s pivot to video is actually going to work. When the company announced it was getting into professionally produced shows, [I wrote at the time](that there would be many challenges, including the basics, like finding an audience and building a unique video product. What I (foolishly) failed to account for was perhaps the biggest challenge of all: Musk’s own behavior. Canceling Lemon’s show feels like yet another impulsive Musk decision that puts the company in a hole. It hurts X’s immediate advertising efforts, and also sends a warning to all other would-be partners that working with X is a risky proposition. If Lemon’s deal can be thrown out the door as soon as Musk has a change of heart, then what confidence will other media partners have to take X and its new pivot seriously? Creating these kinds of shows can be costly and time consuming. Now Lemon is [considering a legal challenge]( against X, claiming that the company owes him money based on their contract. Lemon may as well be waving a giant red flag over his head. It’s a bad look for X, and there’s only one person to blame. —[Kurt Wagner](mailto:kwagner71@bloomberg.net) Get the free Tech Daily newsletter: [( The big story Apple is in talks to build Google’s Gemini AI engine into the iPhone. The set of generative AI models would be [used to power some new features coming to the iPhone software this year](, according to people familiar with the matter. One to watch [Watch Brent Thill, an analyst at Jefferies, speak on Bloomberg Television about talks between Apple and Google on a partnership to use Google’s Gemini AI engine in the iPhone.]( Get fully charged Telecom Italia may conduct [an asset sale of $1.1 billion to reduce its debt](. The EU is considering joining the US in a formal review of the [risks of Chinese legacy chips.]( The Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Africa’s largest bourse, is partnering [with Amazon Web Services.]( Startup Yotta and its CEO are buying thousands of Nvidia chips to offer [AI capabilities in India.]( Logistics provider Ninja Van is holding off on its IPO plans [until profitability improves.]( New from Bloomberg [Get the Business of Space newsletter](, a weekly look at the inside stories of investments beyond Earth. More from Bloomberg Bloomberg Technology Summit: Led by Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Brad Stone and Bloomberg TV Host and Executive Producer Emily Chang, this full-day experience in downtown San Francisco on May 9 will bring together leading CEOs, tech visionaries and industry icons to focus on what's next in artificial intelligence, the chip wars, antitrust outcomes and life after the smartphone. [Learn more](. Get Bloomberg Tech weeklies in your inbox: - [Cyber Bulletin]( for coverage of the shadow world of hackers and cyber-espionage - [Game On]( for reporting on the video game business - [Power On]( for Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more - [Screentime]( for a front-row seat to the collision of Hollywood and Silicon Valley - [Soundbite]( for reporting on podcasting, the music industry and audio trends - [Q&AI]( for answers to all your questions about AI Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Tech Daily newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](