In 2022, Apple tried to destroy X (Twitter).
They pulled their ads and threatened to block Twitter from the App Store.
But instead of backing down, Elon declared war with Tim Cook.
What happened next changed social media forever…
Here's the full story🧵
When Elon took over Twitter in 2022, chaos followed.
The media attacked him. Advertisers disappeared. Revenue tanked.
Twitter’s biggest ad spender, Apple, paused almost all of their ads.
But that wasn’t the worst part.…
Elon claimed Apple threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store.
The hidden reason? User safety.
Twitter’s moderation policies were changing constantly.
Paid verification led to impersonations of celebrities and big brands.
But underneath, this was about something bigger..
It was about Free Speech vs Media Control.
Elon wanted fewer content restrictions.
Apple wanted to protect its moderation standards and maintain control.
This wasn’t just a business dispute. It was a philosophical clash.
And Elon was in serious danger…
Apple’s App Store is the gatekeeper of the digital world.
Over 1 billion iPhone users rely on it.
If Twitter got removed, Elon would lose everything: massive reach, users, and revenue.
So what did he do?
He took the fight public in classic Elon style…
First, he exposed Apple.
Elon tweeted about Apple’s threat and even tagged Tim Cook.
A private conflict turned into a public battle.
And he didn’t stop there…
He called out Apple’s “secret tax” - the 30% cut they take from App Store purchases.
He wasn’t just venting. He was rallying his audience.
Millions of his followers started questioning Apple’s dominance.
And then things escalated…
Elon accused Apple of censorship and ran a poll:
“Should Apple publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers?”
The result? Overwhelming support for transparency.
Public opinion was shifting in Elon’s favor.
And he kept the pressure on…
Elon tweeted memes about “going to war” with Apple (which was shortly deleted after).
He even teased building his own smartphone if Twitter got banned.
His followers loved it. They rallied behind him.
Elon had turned the fight into a movement.
The result?
Elon’s tweets forced Apple into the spotlight.
Politicians chimed in, calling for investigations into Apple’s App Store practices.
Media outlets covered the feud relentlessly.
Apple faced mounting public criticism.
But Elon’s biggest weapon?
With over 119M followers, Elon’s supporters did the heavy lifting.
They retweeted his posts, debated Apple’s policies, and turned his feud into a global conversation.
And Apple couldn’t ignore it…
On Nov 30, 2022, Elon visited Apple HQ and met with Tim Cook.
Apple clarified Twitter wasn’t being removed. Ads resumed.
Elon declared victory.
So how did he pull this off?
Elon’s audience doesn’t just admire him.
They believe in his vision for free speech and innovation.
When he’s attacked, they see it as their fight.
Every tweet, meme, and poll put Apple on defense.
The impact?
Not just Apple, but many more advertisers returned.
Twitter's users grew from 238 million in Q2 2022 to over 570 million in July 2024.
Elon turned a crisis into momentum.
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