The French billionaire Xavier Niel lashed out against Elon Musk during an interview, who did not like and replied in a Salace way on X. Here is who the 1967 -born entrepreneur who targeted the Tesla and Spacex magnate.
In these hours it is consuming on Xthe deceased Twitter, a clash between two “titani” start-ups and IT: the American South African magnate Elon Musk and the French billionaire Xavier Niel. The first, member of the Administration Trump And among the main financiers of his second election campaign, he was the founder of Paypal And it is now CEO (CEO) of Tesla, Spacex, Neuralink And The Boring Companyamong others; Niel is instead CEO and President of Iliadco -owner of Mondicreator of Station F (a huge start-up campus in Paris) and a member of the board of directors of several large companies, including Chinese Bytedanceowner of the very popular social network Tiktok.
The two between 10 and 11 February pinched with some declarations at the glass and posts that are having a large media echo. Starting it was just Xavier Niel, born in 1967, son of a lawyer and an accountant who put his own hands on the first computer at 14 years old, thanks to which he began a program and lay the foundations for his dazzling career. During an interview a Telematin The French magnate started his reasoning with a ‘caress’, and then sink the blow: “I think Musk is the largest entrepreneur in the world, and moreover a type that I would define at least complex. I will use a difficult word, perhaps sometimes an assho -or, that’s all, “he thundered the entrepreneur, with an estimated heritage in one Tens of billions of euros In January 2025. Open heaven.
On the evening of February 10 Elon Musk – who just changed his name on X in Harry Bolzhere we explain why – replied in a very Salace way. “This guy was sent to prison to be a real pimp with a gang of prostitutes! LMAO (acronym for Laughing My Ass Off, which on social networks indicates something extremely fun) “. The probable reference is to an old story that involved Niel in 2004. The French Cork billionaire actually went to prison for a month on charges of aggravated exploitation of prostitution – as liberation at the time – linked to the sharing of some rooms where shows were held sexy. But it was completely exonerated from these accusations in 2005 (although others relating to some funds remained standing). THE Content for adults They played an important role in Niel’s career, bearing in mind that at just 19 he developed a “hot” chat for the French online sales and messaging service “Mineltel“; He created an ad hoc company that sold some time later and only 24 years old was already a millionaire.
After the first successes he was involved in a series of cascade projects and companies that made him today one of the men richer in the world. In 1990, for example, he bought half of the Troche Multimedia Telecommunications Company to which he changed the name in Iliadinternational successful telephone operator who today also operates in Italy. In 1995 he invested in the first Internet Service Provider (ISP) for France (WorldNet) and claimed it to 40 million euroswhile in 1999 he created one with free access (free). Between 2010 and 2020 he made some great acquisitions to strengthen the position in the field of telecommunications, such as those of Munich Telecom in Switzerland and Vodafone Malta. Niel is also involved in Kyutaia research group specialized onartificial intelligence. It is not surprising of the interests in common with Elon Musk, despite having completely different visions.
The “social” clash of February between the two, after the first heavy lunges, continued with other posts by the most playful tones. However, it is likely that in the next few days this story may have further aftermath, in the light of the virality conquered. Everything happened on the edge of an important meeting on artificial intelligence that is being held in Paris, a sector on which both billionaires are very strong. This is the announcement of the hostile offer of a consortium of entrepreneurs led by Musk for the purchase of Openai to the monstrous figure of 97 billion dollars (sent back to the sender by Sam Altman), while Niel was consulted by French president Emmanuel Macron before announcing an investment of over 100 billion in the development of the IAs, partly financed by the owner of Iliad. Europe has an extreme need for an owner technology in order not to be crushed by the US and Chinese giants; The clash between Musk and Niel could also continue on this plan.
