Everyone in the entertainment world was in a tizzy when Jimmy Kimmel, the famous late-night interviewer, officially ended his show on February 5, 2025 after more than two decades on the air. But what made people unable to take their eyes off the screen was not a final emotional broadcast, but a short and clear message that Kimmel sent directly to Elon Musk, a controversial technology billionaire. With just 12 words, this prayer exploited the debate and made social networks almost paralyzed for hours.
At the end of the broadcast, when the attention gradually faded, Kimmel suddenly looked directly at the camera and said, “Elon, you can buy the whole world, but you can’t buy me.” Without explaining, without adding, he left the scene, leaving the audience in a state of shock and millions of viewers in the house being executed to speculate on the true meaning behind these words. This is not the first time Kimmel has attacked Musk on television: in recent years, he has often poked fun at Musk, Tesla at SpaceX, and his controversial statements about X. But this time, it feels more personal than ever.
Kimmel’s decision to end the show has been mooted since late 2024, when he revealed in an interview that he wanted to spend time with his family after more than 20 years of devotion to the TV party. However, no one should choose to break a direct shot meant for Musk, whom Kimmel once called “the richest eccentric on the planet.” Some people think it’s a final response after Musk publicly criticized Kimmel on X, calling his show “propaganda trash” and urging viewers to escape.
The online community responded almost immediately. On X, where Musk had over 200 million followers, Kimmel fans congratulated him for “speaking the truth,” while Musk’s Army fan responded that Kimmel was just trying to draw attention to the end of his career. One user wrote: “Jimmy just burned the last bridge before he goes, that’s respectable!” Meanwhile, another had fun: “12 words to finish a failed program: Musk has to smile somewhere.”
Elon Musk, who is known for his quick social media comments, isn’t letting things go quietly. A few hours later, he posted a short tweet: “Jimmy, thanks for the free publicity. Good night.” The words were accompanied by a smiley emoticon, enough to heat up the battle of words between two powerful men in their fields. Some analysts believe it’s just a public battle, but others believe it reflects a deeper contradiction between traditional entertainment culture and the modern tech world that Musk represents.
Whatever the real reason, this moment marked an unforgettable end to Kimmel’s TV race. As the interview program for the night’s glory disappeared from the air and from social media, his final message seemed to be a declaration that he was not afraid of anyone, including the richest man in the world. Is this the last time we hear from Kimmel to take on Musk, or is it just a prelude to another on-screen battle? For these two characters, nothing is impossible.
