Xavier Niel and Elon Musk Clash on X: Personal Attacks and Legal References

A public feud between the two billionaires after Musk’s personality criticism

On Monday, February 10, a public confrontation broke out between two of the most influential businessmen in the world: Xavier Niel, founder of the Iliad Group and Free, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and owner of X. The feud began on the Télématin show on France 2, where Xavier Niel called Musk a “jerk,” acknowledging him as “the greatest entrepreneur in the world” but also describing him as a “complex guy” whose sometimes difficult behavior deserved that term. This remark was quickly shared on X, prompting an immediate response from Musk.

Details of the prostitution accusations and Niel’s ironic response to Musk

On the social network, Elon Musk wasted no time responding harshly: “This guy was sent to prison for being a true pimp with a group of prostitutes! Let me laugh,” he wrote, referring to Niel’s past legal troubles. In the 2000s, Niel was placed under investigation for pimping and the concealment of embezzled funds before being ultimately convicted in 2006 to two years in prison with a suspended sentence and a €250,000 fine.

Far from being rattled, Xavier Niel responded with irony, suggesting, “We’ll settle this at Lidl.” This remark referred to an incident from November, when Elon Musk had suggested a physical “1v1 battle in front of the Lidl on Rue Sainte in Marseille.” Niel had then photographed himself in front of the store, adding to the provocation.

Behind this media spat lies a battle of giants, with both billionaires controlling major companies, including in the field of artificial intelligence, which is the focus of an international summit in Paris this week.