THE BIGGEST CEO MISHAPS OF 2023

From massages to private flights, here are some of the most high-profile — and bizarre — moments

Another year, another endless news cycle driven by the world’s top corporate executives, with moments ranging from cringe-worthy to downright bizarre.

While some CEOs seemed to relish the spotlight, Elon Musk chief among them, others were inadvertently thrust into social media’s harsh glare.

Here are some of the most highprofile management misadventures:

The Muskiest moment

Of all the jaw-dropping Musk moments last year, the pinnacle came on stage at the New York Times DealBook Summit when he told advertisers that have stopped spending on X to go “(expletive)” themselves. “Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience” he added, calling out Bob Iger, CEO of Walt Disney Co. — one company among many that distanced itself after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post in November.

Still, if advertisers leave X, the platform’s failure will be their fault, not his, Musk said, calling their retreat a form of blackmail. He said he won’t “tap dance” to prove he’s trustworthy.

Billionaire cage match bluff

In June, Musk challenged Mark Zuckerberg to what perhaps passes for a duel in 2023, posting on X: “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol.” The peculiar invitation came shortly after news surfaced that Meta Platforms was set to release Threads as a competitor to X.

Zuckerberg, who practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu, readily agreed. Musk advertised a showdown in Las Vegas in August, and then started a rumor it might actually be staged in the Colosseum in Rome, which Italy’s culture minister promptly debunked. But Musk began making excuses as the summer weeks slid by, saying he might need surgery for his neck/back/shoulder. Zuckerberg eventually called his bluff, saying it was “time to move on.”

OpenAI’s about-face

The abrupt firing and rehiring of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by the board played out over the course of a long weekend. The whole thing was pretty bizarre, with some of the drama unfolding on social media. Between angry investors and employees, virtually all of whom threatened to quit, the board beat a hasty retreat.

As rumors swirled that he might return, Altman posted a photo of himself at the San Francisco office wearing a

GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ AP FILE In June, Elon Musk challenged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to a cage match. Zuckerberg, who practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu, readily agreed. But the much-hyped event never happened.

KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH AP FILE British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends an event in November with Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk in London.

NIALL CARSON AP FILE BP CEO Bernard Looney resigned over the failure to fully disclose past relationships with colleagues, forfeiting $41 million in pay.

ERIC RISBERG AP FILE The abrupt firing and rehiring of OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman by the board played out over the course of a long weekend.