X: no verification unless companies buy ads
X (formerly known as Twitter) warns companies on the site that they will lose their verification badges if they have not spent at least $1,000 on advertisements over the past month or $6,000 in the preceding 180 days. The yellow check marks will reportedly start disappearing on August 7.
Musk: Bronny James cardiac arrest may be vaccine related
Referring to Bronny James’ cardiac arrest, Musk says:
We cannot ascribe everything to the vaccine, but, by the same token, we cannot ascribe nothing. Myocarditis is a well known side-effect
We cannot ascribe everything to the vaccine, but, by the same token, we cannot ascribe nothing.
Myocarditis is a known side-effect. The only question is whether it is rare or common.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2023
Twitter briefly adds a Community Notes fact check to the tweet, however, it was removed later that day.
Studies show that the risk of myocarditis is significantly higher after an actual Covid infection than with the vaccine. Among adolescent boys, the risk of myocarditis following a Covid infection was approximately twice that of the risk following the second vaccine dose.
Musk rebrands Twitter as X
Musk confirms Twitter’s rebrand by changing the apps’s logo from the bird to X, which he describes as ‘minimalist art deco,’ He also changes his Twitter bio to ‘X.com’, which redirects to what used to be twitter.com, and his profile picture to X, In a late night email, Musk writes to Twitter employees confirming the changes.
We are indeed changing to X…This is my last message from a Twitter email.
Going with minimalist art deco on the upper right.
Probably changes later, certainly will be refined.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 24, 2023
In a Twitter Space – an audio livestream on the platform –Musk said the changes ‘should have been done a long time ago’ and that he was ‘sorry it took so long.’ Musk also said that posts made under the site’s new identity would be called ‘X’s.’
Musk: Twitter logo will change to X
Musk says Twitter is planning to change its logo, Larry the Bird, which has been in place since creation of the company in 2006, to an X. Along with the logo change, the domain for the social media site will become X.com, and Twitter will become a subsidiary of Musk-owned X-Corp.
And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds
And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2023
Musk then asked for logo suggestions:
If a good enough X logo is posted tonight, we’ll make go live worldwide tomorrow
If a good enough X logo is posted tonight, we’ll make go live worldwide tomorrow
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2023
Thousands of users replied before Musk posted a short video of an X with a flickering background.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2023
Musk wants to give amputees robotic limbs powered by brain implants
While updating investors on Tesla’s second-quarter performance, Musk says he wants to help amputees by combining advanced robotics from Tesla with brain-implant technology from Neuralink. Musk says the combination could give amputees…
a robot arm or leg that is as good, maybe better long term, than a biological one…We believe we can give, basically, a cyborg body that is incredibly capable.
Musk: Tesla may cut prices in ‘turbulent times’
On an analysts’ call, Musk says that he will cut prices again on Tesla’s vehicles due to “turbulent times”:
One day it seems like the world economy is falling apart, next day it’s fine. I don’t know what the hell is going on. We’re in, I would call it, turbulent times.
Tesla shares fall nearly 5% after Musk’s comments.
Daypart.AI founder details Burnt Hair domain trade with Boring
Jeremy Sonne, founder of Daypart.AI, details his trade of the burnthair.com website domain to the Boring Company. Just after Musk announced Boring’s plan to sell “Burnt Hair” cologne, Sonne bought the domain and tweeted at Musk, offering him the domain if the billionaire would “have lunch with me at the gigafactory or coffee or something like that.” (The tweet has since been deleted.) Minutes later, Boring messaged him directly, telling him to email them about the idea.
“They said lunch wouldn’t happen,” Sonne says, so he made more “outlandish” requests like a phone call with Musk or a “ride on his private plane,” until Boring finally agreed to give him a tour of its Texas facility and some Boring products (including one of the first 10 bottles of Burnt Hair cologne) in exchange for the domain. Sonne’s wife and four-year-old son also went on the tour, during which, for security reasons, they were not allowed to take out their phones. They also had to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevented them from talking about what they saw inside. Ownership of the domain, which now redirects to Boring’s main website, was transferred in December 2022. Sonne says the tour left a big impression on his son:
My four year old is on the spectrum and is like really obsessed with construction and that’s a special interest for him, construction, diggers, that sort of thing. Since we’ve gotten home, he has been building tunnels with Magna-Tiles and running his cars through them and stuff. Honestly, that was worth the entire adventure, just seeing him get really hyped up about it.
Musk sees “deflationary pressures” on lithium prices
On a Tesla earnings call, Musk says he is “seeing what seems to be deflationary pressures” on lithium prices, which “went absolutely insane there for a while.” He attributes the spike to rising commodity prices that made it difficult to cut costs in 2022. Karn Budhiraj, Tesla’s vice president for supply chain, says the reduction in commodity prices translates into thousands of dollars on a per-vehicle basis, adding that the company is extending some fixed-price contracts with suppliers through the end of this decade to lock in the lower costs.
Warren urges SEC to investigate Tesla over Twitter ties
Warren sends a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, urging them to investigate Tesla over possible conflicts of interest, misappropriation of corporate assets, and other negative impacts to Tesla shareholders related to Musk’s Twitter takeover. Warren says the Tesla board’s “apparent lack of independence” from Musk raises questions about possible violations of security laws and exchange rules which fall under SEC’s jurisdiction.
McGregor “interested” in Musk-Zuckerberg fight, but would not train them
McGregor says he would be willing to “do a bit of work with” Musk or Zuckerberg prior to their cage match, but would not formally train either of them, because he is busy training for a bout of his own. He is “interested” in the fight, he says, and hopes they “go ahead with it.”
I’m interested. Are they gonna go ahead with it? Is it gonna happen? If it happens under the UFC banner, I’m with it. It has to happen under the UFC banner… I’d do a bit of work with them. I hope they go ahead with it. Their pockets might be large, but is the talk cheap? They said it. Are they gonna do it now? I’m excited to see how it unfolds.
Musk: Twitter’s ad revenue down ~50%
Musk says Twitter has a “negative cash flow” and its advertising revenue has declined by about 50% amid a “heavy debt load” as competition between Twitter and Threads intensifies. This comes just as Twitter began paying content creators for posting advertisements. Some users are reporting payouts of over $100,000, and Musk himself says Twitter will pay creators $5 million through its first block of payments. It is unclear, though, which kinds of posts or which users are eligible for advertising payments, and some users have criticized the platform’s payout program.
We’re still negative cash flow, due to ~50% drop in advertising revenue plus heavy debt load. Need to reach positive cash flow before we have the luxury of anything else.
We’re still negative cash flow, due to ~50% drop in advertising revenue plus heavy debt load. Need to reach positive cash flow before we have the luxury of anything else.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2023
Ukraine security agency: Starlink puts Ukrainian soldiers at ‘increased risk’
A Ukraine security agency says Starlink, which has helped Ukraine keep its battlefield communications live, puts Ukrainian soldiers at “increased risk” from cyber-spies who belong to a Russian-led espionage group in occupied Crimea. The group has been known to Western security agencies for almost a decade. After a Russia sympathizer was jailed for plotting to disrupt Western arms supplies by blowing up transport infrastructure, Ukraine’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) urged soldiers to install advanced anti-hacker software, saying:
Computers located outside the [computer security] protection perimeter, in particular those that use Starlink terminals to access the Internet, are at increased risk.
The CERT-UA warning comes as the agency shed fresh light on the actions of an espionage-focused hacker gang known in the West as Gamaredon, whose members were described by CERT-UA as “former ‘officers’ of the State Security Service of Ukraine” who “betrayed their military oath and began to serve the FSB [spy agency] of Russia.” (The SSSU says Gamaredon is led by five Russian intelligence agency officers.) Immediately before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Gamaredon “tried to compromise a Western government entity in Ukraine” according to US cyber security company Palo Alto Networks.
Musk announces formation of xAI
Musk announces the formation of a company called xAI. The startup is geared toward artificial intelligence and employs several engineers who have worked for companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Along with the amount of funding it has, xAI’s specific objectives are unclear, as is exactly what it will focus on regarding AI. The company’s website says its goal “is to understand the true nature of the universe,” but adds that more information will be forthcoming “over the next couple of weeks and months.” Musk:
Announcing formation of @xAI to understand reality
Announcing formation of @xAI to understand reality
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 12, 2023
Glass house investigation: outcome unknown
The outcome of the probe by Tesla’s board into whether Musk misused the company’s clout to secure special glass for a personal building project (“Project 42”) remains unknown, according to “insiders” at the company. The investigation was launched after a top Musk advisor at Tesla ordered millions of dollars worth of specialized glass for the projected mansion. Nor has the glass-walled residence been constructed, despite the plans for it dating back to at least 2022. Sources at Tesla say they do not know the project’s status, and neither Musk nor any board members have commented about the matter.
SpaceX breaks reusable rocket launch record
SpaceX breaks its own record, after successfully completing a 16th mission with a reusable rocket. The company launches 22 Starlink satellites aboard the Falcon 9 rocket from the Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is the 16th launch and landing for the B1058 Falcon 9 rocket booster. SpaceX says it hopes the booster can be used a further four times before finally being scrapped. There are now more than 4,000 active Starlink satellites in orbit around Earth, delivering high-speed internet to users. After the satellites are deployed, Musk writes on Twitter:
Looks like we can increase Raptor thrust by ~20 per cent to reach 9,000 tons (20 million lbs) of force at sea level… And deliver over 200 tons of payload to a useful orbit with full and rapid reusability. Fifty rockets flying every three days on average enables over a megaton of payload to orbit per year – enough to build a self-sustaining city on Mars.
Musk proposes ‘dick measuring contest’ with Zuckerberg
After calling him a “cuck” on Twitter, Musk proposes a “dick measuring contest” with Zuckerberg, adding a ruler emoji to his tweet.
I propose a literal dick measuring contest.
I propose a literal dick measuring contest 📏
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2023
Musk: ‘Zuck is a cuck’
Replying to screenshots of Zuckerberg laughing at burger chain Wendy’s telling him to go into space to ‘really make Musk mad’, Musk replies:
Zuck is a cuck.
In US slang, a ‘cuck’ is a weak or servile man, that is often used as a contemptuous term for a man with progressive political views. It has its roots in cuckold, a term for a man who watches his wife having sex with another man.
Zuck is a cuck
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2023
Musk’s ketamine use ‘could jeopardize security clearance’
Musk’s ketamine use could prompt an investigation into his security clearance for SpaceX and Tesla. It was reported that Musk microdoses ketamine for depression, and takes full doses of ketamine at parties. He has also tweeted approvingly of ketamine use to treat depression. Two national security attorneys say drug use is typically grounds for the government to revoke someone’s security clearance. They expect to see the federal agency in charge of security clearances investigate Musk’s use of ketamine, which is a schedule III drug, meaning it can be legally prescribed under federal law. One of the attorneys says:
[S]omeone who takes a cavalier approach to drug use may take a cavalier approach to the handling of classified information.
Musk does not respond to a request for comment. There is no evidence that the government has opened a review of Musk’s clearance.
Musk: Tesla could achieve ‘full self-driving’ this year
Musk says Tesla could realize “full self-driving” vehicles “later this year.” During the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, the entrepreneur says via video link that although he has been wrong in previous predictions about autonomous driving, he feels like Tesla is closer to it than ever.
In terms of where Tesla is at this stage, I think we are very close to achieving full self-driving without human supervision. This is only speculation, but I think we’ll achieve full self-driving, maybe what you would call four or five, I think later this year. I feel like we’re closer to it than we ever have been.
No one is further along in General autonomy than Tesla
"Tesla will achieve full self driving later this year." Elon Musk
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) July 7, 2023
Musk sues lawyers who represented Twitter against him
Arguing that the bill is too high, Musk sues the lawyers who represented Twitter (now “X Corp”) in its suit against him for trying to abandon his $44 billion takeover offer in 2022. (Filed in the Superior Court of California, the case is X Corp. v. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz [CGC-23-607461].) Hoping to get back part of the $90 million Twitter paid Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (WLRK), X Corp alleges that the law firm tried to “fundamentally alter its fee arrangement” toward the end of its representation of Twitter in order to get an “improper bonus payment in violation of its fiduciary and ethical obligations to its client.” The complaint says that the board had been surprised about the fees and alleges that the firm was “at the center of a spending spree” by Twitter’s departing executives. It says those executives:
ran up the tab at Twitter by, among other things, facilitating the improper payment of substantial gifts to preferred law firms like Wachtell on top of the firms’ full hourly billings by designating tens of millions of dollars in handouts to the firms as ‘success’ or ‘project’ fees.