Show ax after journo ‘demands a Tesla’ LEMON T O X-TRAVAGANT
Don Lemon demanded the sun, the moon and the stars from Elon Musk to appear on a new X show — before being unceremoniously dumped this week, The Post has learned.
The ex-CNN anchor sent over an astronomical wish list — including a free Tesla Cybertruck, a $5 million upfront payment on top of an $8 million salary, an equity stake in the multibilliondollar company and the right to approve any changes in X policy as it relates to news content, according to a document reviewed by The Post.
Asks and answers
Lemon — who was expected to air an interview with Musk for next week’s debut episode of “The Don Lemon Show” on X — had also demanded a private jet flight to Las Vegas and a suite for him and his fiancé and that the company pay for their day drinking and massages, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
Musk agreed to do the interview with Lemon despite the fact that he was aware of some of
Lemon’s demands, sources told The Post.
Lemon’s proposal was sent from his agents at United Talent Agency to X’s leadership in December.
The partnership was announced in January, but an X spokesperson told The Post that the company “did not have a final or signed agreement with Don Lemon or ‘The Don Lemon Show’ ” before Musk sat down for the explosive interview last week.
X declined to comment on the details of the document.
Jay Sures, vice chairman at UTA, told The Post: “This is absolute, complete utter nonsense withan out iota of truth to it.”
Lemon was fired hours after the oneon-one sitdown, with Musk calling the anchor “dull” and “underwhelming.”
The one-and-a-half hour grilling included tense exchanges about Musk’s political leanings, his past drug use and the site’s content moderation policy.
Lemon claimed on Wednesday that he was jettisoned by X because Musk reneged on his “free speech” pledge.
Dropping anchor
Lemon’s discussions with the company began shortly after he was fired by CNN last April after a series of high-profile incidents.
In an interview with veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher on Friday, Lemon claimed that X threatened to fire him if he did not attend the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, which was held earlier this year between Jan. 7 and Jan. 10. CES is one of the most highly anticipated events on the tech calendar as companies including X flock to the show in order to schmooze advertisers. A spokesperson for X called Lemon’s claim “a disingenuous lie.”
Lemon billed X for his and his fiancé’s day drinking and massages at the Vdara in Las Vegas, according to sources.
Lemon wanted to be flown to the convention with his longtime fiancé on a private jet and be put up in private suite — as well as for X to foot the bill for alcoholic beverages and massages that he and his fiancé ordered during their stay at the Vdara, the MGM-run resort on the Las Vegas Strip, according to people familiar with the matter.
The negotiations progressed after Musk brought former NBCUniversal advertising executive Linda Yaccarino on board as chief executive officer of X, sources said.
But the talks stalled over Lemon’s extensive demands, which included executive assistants as well as a marketing budget that ranged from $10 million to $15 million, people with knowledge of the situation told The Post.
A spokesperson for Lemon said: “There is nothing in your list of demands that you claim Don made of X that is true. Literally nothing.”