‘What’s going on here…?’ Elon Musk questions Microsoft employees accused of celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death

Satya Nadella

Elon Musk has turned his attention to Microsoft, calling out its CEO Satya Nadella after claims that some of the company’s Blizzard employees mocked conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death.

On X (formerly Twitter), Musk quoted a thread that included screenshots and names of people alleged to be Blizzard developers. “What’s going on here, @satyanadella?” Musk asked publicly. In another post, he added: “These are Microsoft employees.”

The posts came amid a larger political storm. Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Clay Higgins from Louisiana, have been pushing for tech platforms to take strict action against anyone posting celebratory or mocking comments about Kirk’s assassination. Higgins even said he would use “Congressional authority” to demand permanent bans for such behavior.

The situation picked up traction after former Blizzard developer Mark Kern, who is known online as “Grummz” and often posts about right-wing issues, resurfaced the screenshots. He accused Blizzard employees of “trashing” Kirk after his death. Musk then amplified Kern’s post by quoting it directly.

Microsoft later issued a response on its official X account, though not addressed to Musk personally. “We’re aware of the views expressed by a small subset of our employees regarding recent events,” the company wrote. “We take matters like this very seriously and we are currently reviewing each individual situation. Comments celebrating violence against anyone are unacceptable and do not align with our values.”

However, the screenshots being circulated online did not actually show employees celebrating Kirk’s killing. They were more critical comments about his work and politics rather than cheering the violence itself.

As of now, Nadella has not responded publicly to Musk’s posts. But Musk’s decision to elevate the issue has added fresh pressure on Microsoft, especially given the heightened political sensitivity around Kirk’s death and the broader debate about free speech, online conduct, and corporate accountability.