Neonazis Love Elon Musk's Nazi Like Salutes
wired.com
wired.com
Personally, I think Elon wasn't doing a Nazi salute. I think he's just a very awkward person all hyped up in his speech.
If I somehow awkwarded my way into lots of rational people thinking I had pulled a multiple sieg heil, I'd spend days apologizing loudly and profusely. Because being awkward and being a piece of shit person are very different things (though some people can of course be both).
Elon has not only not apologized for it, he hasn't even actually denied it.
I'm pretty convinced he did it 100% intentionally, perhaps maybe more as an attention baiting troll than anything else, but even as a troll gesture it is wildly problematic for someone who has bought as much real world influence as he recently has to do what he did.
In this case, it's clear that he won't apologize because that would mean giving into mainstream media's portrayal of him. He has no fear of mainstream media right now. He's on an all out war against mainstream media. He likely feels like this is just another cancellation attempt on him.
I understand why some people think it's a Nazi salute. He started from his heart, moved his arm very fast outward, and ended with a flat hand. Some people on Twitter are defending Elon by posting static images of people like Obama or Taylor swift doing the same gesture but those were just hand waves that ended up looking like a Nazi salute at a particular frame. What Elon did was far more egregious and I'm not surprised by the response.
However, I do think he did not mean it. Maybe 70% sure he didn't. 30% sure he did it as a troll attempt, like you said.
I've worked in tech my whole life and I've met many awkward people doing many awkward, cringy things. This feels like another.
"Stay safe", with the touching of elbows doesn't count as Nazi salute, because it was not done by Hitler ..