Netflix co-CEO dubs Elon Musk the 'bravest, most creative person on the planet'

Elon Musk's biggest fan might just be in charge of Netflix.

Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings heaped praise on Musk at The New York Times' DealBook Summit, saying he's "excited" about the billionaire's purchase of Twitter.

"Elon Musk is the bravest, most creative person on the planet," Hastings declared, per CNBC. "What he's done in multiple areas is phenomenal."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Hastings added that he is "100 percent convinced" that Musk "is trying to help the world in all of his endeavors," including his Twitter takeover that led to about half the company's workforce being fired and hundreds of further resignations after Musk demanded they work "long hours at high intensity."

"He believes in free speech and its power for democracy," Hastings said, accusing Musk's critics of being "so nitpicky."

"Yeah, sure, the blue check mark — he's making a mess of some things, or not," Hastings said, referring to the chaotic rollout of paid verified check marks that resulted in a wave of impersonators. "But it's like, give the guy a break!"

Also during the summit, Hastings praised comedian Dave Chappelle, whose jokes about transgender people in his most recent Netflix special prompted an employee walkout. Calling Chappelle's special "one of the most entertaining" Netflix has ever had, Hastings said, "We would do it again and again," per The Verge.

Another topic Hastings addressed was Netflix's recent theatrical release of Glass Onion, which experts criticized due to the decision to pull the film from theaters after only a week despite it being hugely popular. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hastings admitted that in doing so, Netflix left "lots" of money on the table.