Elon Musk tweeted: “Next I’m buying Coca-Cola,” leading to speculation he’s going to change “Woke-a-Cola.” At the same time, Coke’s CEO is the first target of a National Legal and Policy Center push to get companies out of politics.
Is Elon Musk really buying Coca-Cola?
After Elon Musk became the new owner of Twitter this week, a tweet he made on Wednesday has the Internet buzzing over the idea that he may purchase the world’s largest beverage company, Coca-Cola.
Musk tweeted: “Next, I’m buying Coca-Cola to put the cocaine back in.”
LADBible reported that one user wrote: “I don’t know about you…I’m liking the new ownership already @elonmusk.”
In the 1800s, the early recipe for Coca-Cola included coca leaves, from which cocaine is derived, the Daily Mail reported. Allegedly, these early versions of Coke contained 3.5 milligrams of cocaine and caffeine. The coca leaf-derived ingredients were removed in the early 1900s.
Musk’s comment was a joke, adding levity to the tension around his purchase of Twitter.
But some people aren’t so sure Musk is joking.
Woke-a-Cola: Coke stirs up controversy as it dips into politics
The reason people think Musk might buy Coca-Cola is to clean up its “woke” stance that hit a sour spot with many of the sugary drink’s consumers and led to some boycotting the syrupy product.
Coca-Cola stirred up controversy in February 2021 when its diversity training was exposed via a viral whistleblower post that showed Coca-Cola employees being urged to be “less white,” the New York Post reported.
The course was titled “confronting racism” and was offered by LinkedIn education.
One of the slides exposed online and posted to Twitter by an “internal whistleblower,” read: “In the U.S. and other Western nations, white people are socialized to feel that they are inherently superior because they are white.”
Another slide filled with tips suggested employees “try to be less white” and “be less oppressive,” “listen,” “believe,” and “break with white solidarity.”
Images from the slides provided by an alleged “internal whistleblower” who said the course was “required” were posted on Twitter by YouTube commentator Dr. Karlyn Borysenko.
National Legal and Policy Center targets Coke CEO in push to get companies out of politics
On Thursday, the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), an ethics watchdog and activist shareholder, said it would be speaking to the boards of several major US corporations this week to persuade companies to stay out of politics.
Disney’s foray into politics in Florida resulted in the company losing its special self-governing and tax status.
The NLPC said its first target is Coca-Cola chairman and CEO James Quincy, FOXBusiness reported.
Among the resolutions, the NLPC is floating is a requirement that the role of a board chairman must be an independent position. This means, if approved, a board chairman cannot also be a chief executive, as Quincy does at present.
This week, during Coke’s annual shareholder meeting, the NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project director, Paul Chesser, argued that Quincey’s “leadership has earned the company the mocking nickname, ‘Woke-a-Cola.'”
Coke hypocrisy
Chesser added that Quincey “caved to progressive political activists” when he issued a statement condemning Georgia’s election integrity law last year and accused the CEO of hypocrisy for remaining silent while voter I.D. legislation moved through Parliament in his home country of the U.K. recently.
