Australian CEO Slammed For Bragging About First-Class Flight, He Reacts
An Australian man who claims to be a founder and CEO is being slammed for bragging about his first-class travels in a social media post compiled using artificial intelligence (AI). Taking to Threads, Jake Bass shared a couple of photos showing the luxurious first-class experience, including his father relaxing in a private pod, enjoying fine dining and sipping drinks. "Just flew my dad with me to Dubai. First class. Emirates. $50,000 flight. (A world away from the $1,200 I used to pay in economy.) 470 passengers. Only 2 in First Class-us," he wrote in the caption of the post.
"I sat there thinking-what made our journey so different from the 468 behind us? Then I saw the pilot adjust our course by just 1 degree to avoid turbulence. Barely noticeable... But hours later, we were far off the original path. That's when it clicked: Just a slight change in direction ... changes everything," Mr Bass added.
The 20-something's post quickly went viral online, with hundreds of people flooding his comments section with enraged responses. It was the tone of the post, coupled with its moral lesson, that irked netizens.
"The difference between you and the 468 behind you is that they didn't waste $50,000 on something as temporary as a seat on a plane," wrote one user. "Funny, because without my glasses, I read your name as Jack A-. I'll leave it at that," commented another.
"Nobody buying your course lil bro," said a third user. "You sound insufferable," one person commented.
Some users also accused Mr Bass of sharing inaccurate prices and misleading photos of his first-class experience.
However, reacting to the backlash, Mr Bass told the New York Post that he used ChatGPT to craft his post for maximum engagement. "I say what I believe, and I get ChatGPT to work in a controversial way," he said. "It's the algorithm that makes me sound like a douche," he continued.
Mr Bass underlined that he strongly agrees with the sentiment. "To be completely honest, I don't think what I said was wrong at all. I shared a perspective - one that challenges people to reflect on their own choices, and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. That's really what this is about: most people don't want to be reminded that they've settled," he said.
Also Read | Travel Vlogger Highlights Challenges Of Travelling With Indian Passport, Sparks Debate
In response to the online outrage, Mr Bass also offered to fly one of the followers anywhere in the world, provided they followed him on both X and Instagram.
As his original tweet went viral, he also stated that it was proof he was "doing something right". However, he rejected being deemed "entitled", saying that those who know him are aware that he isolated himself for five years, working hard and avoiding social media. "This life was earned," he wrote on Instagram.
He then revealed to his audience that he had used ChatGPT to write the tweet, to intentionally "trigger emotion, create division, and spark mass engagement."
A few days later, he also appeared to have attempted the same formula, posting a similar tweet, claiming to have another inspiring epiphany while watching people board economy.
The second post was also met with criticism. "Your post comes off as super smug schmuck, implying that those who can't afford to fly first class are just victims of their own poor life choices. Bad form," one user wrote.
Trending News