New York University professor and public speaker Scott Galloway ripped into Elon Musk this week for showing a “total lack of grace” in his leadership at Twitter.
Galloway, who teaches at the NYU Stern School of Business, discussed the CEO’s decision-making during an interview with CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, following reports of hundreds of resignations at the social media company.
Musk’s time as Twitter leader, which began last month, has also reportedly included firing employees who criticized him and cutting thousands of contract workers.
The moves have sparked fears of a possible shutdown, with one former Twitter executive telling CNN’s Oliver Darcy that the company “will struggle just to keep the lights on.”
Galloway, whom Musk deemed an “insufferable numbskull” last year for his take on the billionaire’s Tesla business, told Amanpour that people are seeing the CEO “unwinding” in a public manner.
“This is someone who, in my opinion, shows a bit of a God complex,” Galloway said.
He argued that technology leaders are taking the place of religion for many people amid declining church attendance, with Musk taking on the mantle of a “new Jesus Christ.”
“And every ridiculously mean, nonsensical, irrational move he makes is somehow seen as chess not checkers,” Galloway said.
“This is an individual who has demonstrated a total lack of grace, has no guardrails around him and is going to see his wealth probably cut in half,” he said, noting that all people “eventually screw up.”
“This is a company probably worth 10 billion [dollars] that he paid 45 billion, and [Musk] thinks he can lay off half the staff and treat them poorly and disparage them and not have any ramifications.”
Watch Galloway’s take on Musk below.