X Platform Awards $1M Prize to Self-Proclaimed Nazi Account in Controversial Contest

Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has awarded its $1 million article contest grand prize to a user with openly white supremacist views, raising serious concerns about the platform’s values and moderation policies.

Contest Winner’s Extremist Background

The winner, a user named Beaver (@beaverd) who has over 100,000 followers, has publicly expressed extreme racist views, including stating that he wished Trump “was literally Hitler” and referring to himself as a Nazi. The account frequently targets Somali immigrants, claiming they have “lower IQ than wild animals,” and runs a website called “SomaliScan” with its own cryptocurrency.

Platform Ownership and Contest Criteria

This development comes amid increasing controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s ownership of X and his own interactions with right-wing accounts. Musk has previously engaged with Beaver’s content, replying with approval to data from the user’s anti-Somali website.

The contest itself was primarily judged based on “Verified Home Timeline impressions” rather than content quality, essentially rewarding engagement metrics over substance. Critics note this approach inherently favors provocative, often extreme content that generates reactions.

Broader Implications

The decision to award $1 million to an account with openly white supremacist views has several concerning implications:

• It represents direct financial reward for extremist content
• It creates an uncomfortable association between SpaceX and extremist views, especially following SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI, which operates X
• It signals to users that such views are not only tolerated but potentially rewarded on the platform

Following his win, Beaver immediately attempted to monetize his newfound publicity by encouraging followers to sign up for a crypto casino using his referral link, promising to share $25,000 of his winnings with those who did so.

Platform Direction Under Musk

This incident aligns with a broader pattern of X under Musk’s leadership embracing and amplifying right-wing content. Musk himself regularly shares controversial political views and conspiracy theories, making the platform increasingly hospitable to extremist perspectives that might be restricted on other social media sites.