Streamers Destiny and Asmongold recently clashed over Elon Musk’s handling of X (formerly Twitter) and his alleged influence on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The dispute unfolded when political commentator Steven “Destiny” Bonnell reacted to a livestream in which Zach “Asmongold” praised Musk’s acquisition of X, describing it as “the most powerful media tool” capable of changing election outcomes. Asmongold suggested Musk’s involvement in Trump’s campaign had transformed X into a “weapon” and highlighted the platform’s impact on the political landscape.
Destiny, a Kick streamer known for his strong opinions, disagreed with this perspective. Responding sharply, he said, “Oh god, he is actually so fking stupid! Holy sh*t, he's a fking retard.” He elaborated, explaining that a business's value isn't typically based on its political influence but rather on its economic viability and future sellability. Destiny highlighted this with a pointed remark: “When you buy a firm, you're usually thinking in terms of valuation… what can you sell the firm for in the future.”
The debate continued as Destiny elaborated on Asmongold’s comments about Musk’s potential government influence, describing this as “rent-seeking,” which he defined as spending money to “alter the regulatory environment to gain an edge.” Quoting Britannica’s definition of rent-seeking as “competition for politically protected transfers of wealth,” Destiny argued that such practices are generally “either illegal or highly discouraged.”
Asmongold later addressed the controversy, expressing respect for Destiny’s political insights, acknowledging, “Destiny’s changed my opinions on a number of things.” However, he maintained that Musk was using X as a “loss-leader” for his ventures like Tesla and SpaceX, likening the platform’s role to Stake’s strategy with Kick.
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