The worst trolls on X are probably millionaires — which explains why Musk won’t shut them up

Elon Musk‘s X has become a haven for neo-Nazi trolls—but there’s a plot twist! These aren’t your typical keyboard warriors living in their parents’ basements. The biggest culprits are more likely to own a summer house and a few mutual funds.

X has become something else under Elon Musk’s control. Rants and conversations that give off a Twitter vibe are still present, but unhinged behavior is spreading on the platform. Elon’s “free speech” agenda is evidently causing more damage. He may preach that he is an ally of the truth, but hear this out. An exposé by the Texas Observer documents how four X users sharing white supremacy propaganda are making serious money doing it and how Elon is connected.

As it turns out, X’s most prolific hate peddlers are cashing six-figure paychecks, and Elon seems to be winking their way. He’s responded to several of these accounts, often with emojis. The Observer even found the identities of the people running the accounts. So, care to find out who is behind these accounts?

The Official1984. Behind this Holocaust-denying account is Cyan Cruz, a marketing professional who’s lived in Austin and Amarillo, Texas. His pro-Hitler garbage earned him millions of views. Cruz’s account keeps getting flagged for hate speech, but ads still showed up in the replies because, you know, Elon thinks it’s “free speech.” Cruz even had the audacity to post a screenshot of an email from X saying his revenue-sharing privileges were “paused.” His account had the pleasure of Elon’s reply. Elon explained to Cruz why another Nazi-spewing nonsense account was banned.

Then there’s 9mm_SMG, a neo-Nazi account run by retired mechanical engineer Michael Gramer. His idea of fun is quoting racist expressions and complaining about democracy. Here’s where it gets worse. Elon himself replied to Gramer’s post with a laughing emoji. What did Elon find so funny? A community note screenshot on Gramer’s post said Kamala Harris was Montel Williams “main hoe.” When the platform owner jokes along with neo-Nazis, why even bother with PR damage control?

The third account is Noble1945 (subtle username, we know), and it belongs to Robert Thorne, a vice president at JPMorgan Chase who thought it’d be cute to drop swastikas and “Sieg Heil” into the timeline. JPMorgan is currently “investigating,” but don’t hold your breath. Lastly, there is the account Utism_, operated by one John Anthony Provenzano, a Navy civilian employee who used his account to broadcast antisemitic rants before it was quietly deleted last month. Oh, and guess what? He is under investigation too.

X Premium, Elon’s subscription cash cow, is the secret sauce here. For a monthly fee, verified users—including these degenerates—can earn money based on how much engagement their posts get. Yes, that means neo-Nazi propaganda is potentially a revenue stream. Ads from major brands have even appeared alongside this hate-filled content. Do we even need to ask why Elon is letting this slide?

Let’s talk “free speech” here for a minute. Is neo-Nazi propaganda a constitutional right? This is not about what we are allowed to say. It’s not impossible for young people who lack education and mentorship to get caught up in the ideology. That’s why Europe is cracking down on neo-Nazi groups; its history is a reminder of the consequences. But that’s not how Elon sees it. He probably won’t kick these guys off X, anytime soon. X is cashing in too, so there’s no reason to moderate anything.

So, if you were wondering why X feels like it’s turning into a dystopian fever dream, it’s because hate sells, and the hate-spreaders are footing the bill. Welcome to Elon’s brave new world: “Hate speech: now with corporate sponsorship!”