CNN tried to sell a false headline alleging that a fraction of the world’s richest man’s wealth could solve world hunger.
CNN’s story was headlined, “2% of [Tesla co-founder and CEO] Elon Musk’s wealth could solve world hunger, says director of UN food scarcity organization.” The lede paragraph asserted that “A small group of ultra-wealthy individuals could help solve world hunger with just a fraction of their net worth, says the director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme [David Beasley.]” But the story’s lede offers a completely different context than what the headline suggested. Saying the rich could “help” solve world hunger with a fraction of their wealth is vastly different from saying two percent of one man’s wealth — even if he is the most wealthy in the world — “could solve world hunger” as the headline stated. CNN corrected the headline at the end of the story.
Twitter users tore apart the original headline.
Nano Dimension director Dr. Eli David excoriated the story on Twitter: “Fact check: 2% of @elonmusk’s wealth is $6B[;]The UN World Food Program (WFP), raised $8.4B in 2020. How come it didn’t ‘solve world hunger’?” Even Musk wentAfter the story. “If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it.” He continued in a second tweet: “But it must be open source accounting, so the public sees precisely how the money is spent.”
According to the Director of United Nations World Food Program, a small number of wealthy individuals can help end world hunger by donating just a small fraction of their wealth.
David Beasley stated that billionaires must “step up immediately, on an one-time basis.” https://t.co/6HWvOEHcnP
— CNN (@CNN) October 27, 2021
Musk was criticized by Beasley on Twitter for his criticism of CNN’s fake news. Beasley went on to make a string of claims that Musk’s money would prevent geopolitical instability, mass migration and save tens of millions from starvation: “@elonmusk! The headline is not true. Although $6B won’t solve the world’s hunger problem, it will help.This will prevent geopolitical instability from mass migration. It will also save 42 millions people who are on the verge of starvation..” Beasley stated in a follow-up tweet to Musk that “With your help we can bring hope, build stability and change the future.” [Emphasis added.]
Musk After Musk requested that Beasley publish WFB’s “current & proposed spending in detail,” Musk then tweeted a link to an Express article with the headline: “Starving children ‘as young as NINE forced to give UN officials oral sex to get food.’” Musk captioned the tweet: “What happened here?” David warned Musk: “Now imagine how much worse they could do if you donate to them.”
Conservatives under attackConservatives are being attacked. Call CNN 1-404-827-1500 to demand that it reports economic policy accurately and stop spreading class warfare propaganda.
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