Justine Sacco found herself trending worldwide on Twitter thanks to an ill-thought-out message she intended to be amusing A PR consultant has revealed how a tweet she sent to amuse her 170 followers ended up making her a global hate figure and ruined her life. Justine Sacco's ill-thought-out message, sent before she boarded a flight to South Africa in December 2013 read: 'Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!' It cost the 30-year-old from New York her job and her reputation after it was re-tweeted by tech blogger Sam Biddle to his 15,000 followers.
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Justine Sacco, 30, from New York, became a global hate figure
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Thousands angered by tweet sent by the PR consultant
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It said: 'Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!'
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She lost her job and was trolled by thousands
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Now spoken of the experience in book So You've Been Publicly Shamed
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She said tweet to her 170 followers was misinterpreted
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'I thought there was no way that anyone could possibly think it was literal'
'Her tormentors were instantly congratulated as they took @placeholder down, bit by bit, and so they continued to do so.