Twitter launches encrypted DMs for some users
Twitter launches end-to-end encryption for direct message, but only for verified users or those who pay for Twitter Blue. The company says it is “not quite there yet” with encryption, but is “working on it.”
[W]hile messages themselves are encrypted, metadata (recipient, creation time, etc.) are not, and neither is any linked content (only links themselves, not any content they refer to, is encrypted)…If someone – for example, a malicious insider, or Twitter itself as a result of a compulsory legal process – were to compromise an encrypted conversation, neither the sender or receiver would know.
Musk says he expects encrypted messaging on Twitter “to grow in sophistication rapidly” and wants the company’s standard to be that it cannot see users’ messages even “if someone puts a gun to our heads.” Still, he warns DM encryption users to:
Try it, but don’t trust it yet.
Early version of encrypted direct messages just launched.
Try it, but don’t trust it yet.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2023
Tesla to ‘cooperate’ with Samsung in IT development
Musk meets for the first time with Jay Y. Lee, Executive Chairman of Samsung Electronics, during Lee’s visit to the United States, to discuss ways Tesla and Samsung can work together in future high-tech industries, such as semiconductors for autonomous vehicles.
Musk breaks ground at Tesla lithium refinery
Joined by Governor Abbott (R), Musk breaks ground at the site of the Tesla’s $375 million lithium refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, after arriving in a Cybertruck with shovels strapped to the sides. Tesla says the facility will help it secure a domestic supply of lithium hydroxide, a key ingredient used to make its batteries. Musk says the availability of battery-grade lithium is a “fundamental chokepoint” for the electric vehicle industry and others. Tesla aims to produce enough battery-grade lithium at the refinery to manufacture one million vehicles per year, and to produce more lithium than the rest of North America’s refining capacity combined there.
Tesla promises it will use an “innovative” process, designed to consume less hazardous reagents, such as hydrochloric acid, and create “beneficial use opportunities” from byproducts, which they expect to be mostly sand and limestone. However, the company did not disclose the specific chemistry it would rely upon for processing. Musk:
There’s no toxic emissions or anything — you could live right in the middle of the refinery and not suffer any ill effects.
Abbott praises Musk as the greatest entrepreneur on Earth, saying:
Texas wants to be able to be self-reliant, not dependent upon any foreign hostile nation for what we need.
Increasing lithium refining capacity is critical to a sustainable energy economy—today, we're breaking ground on our in-house lithium refinery outside of Corpus Christi, TX.
This facility will also prioritize the elimination of a challenging refinery byproduct (sodium sulfate).… pic.twitter.com/mBnDBLNrW7
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 8, 2023
Musk responds to ‘wealthy background’ community note
In response to a Twitter Community Note that says that ‘Musk was born into an extremely wealthy family’, Musk writes:
I grew up in a lower, transitioning to upper, middle income situation, but did not have a happy childhood. Haven’t inherited anything ever from anyone, nor has anyone given me a large financial gift. My father created a small electrical/mechanical engineering company that was successful for 20 to 30 years, but it fell on hard times. He has been essentially bankrupt for about 25 years, requiring financial support from my brother and me. That said, he does deserve credit for teaching me the fundamentals of physics, engineering and construction, which is more valuable than money, but did not support me financially after high school in any meaningful way. Our condition of providing him financial support was that he not engage in bad behavior. Unfortunately, he nonetheless did. There are young children involved, so we continued to provide financial support for their well-being. Regarding the so-called “emerald mine”, there is no objective evidence whatsoever that this mine ever existed. He told me that he owned a share in a mine in Zambia, and I believed him for a while, but nobody has ever seen the mine, nor are there any records of its existence. If this mine was real, he would not require financial support from my brother and me.
I grew up in a lower, transitioning to upper, middle income situation, but did not have a happy childhood. Haven’t inherited anything ever from anyone, nor has anyone given me a large financial gift.
My father created a small electrical/mechanical engineering company that was…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2023
Musk meets Red Bull team with son at Miami GP
Musk takes his three-year-old son, X Æ A-12, to the Miami Grand Prix, touring the Red Bull garage and talking to team boss Christian Horner and drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Horner said Larry Ellison invited Musk to the race (Oracle sponsors the Red Bull team):
We were talking about batteries, regeneration and so on. Great to have them here this weekend. I proposed a pure EV vs gas/hybrid F1 race.
Musk also spoke with F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali at the event.
Fun discussion of aero & battery technology in F1.
I proposed a pure EV vs gas/hybrid F1 race.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2023
Musk: Chesky’s Twitter interaction is ‘awesome’
After Chesky lists the top suggestions to improve Airbnb he received from Twitter users, Musk responds:
This kind of interaction with users is awesome. Other companies should take note.
This kind of interaction with users is awesome. Other companies should take note.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 5, 2023
Musk: Climate change threat ‘overblown’ in short term
In response to a Twitter post that says ‘Global warming is the biggest scam in history’, Musk says:
Global warming risk is overblown in the short term, but significant in the long term
Global warming risk is overblown in the short term, but significant in the long term
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 5, 2023
65-mile Las Vegas Loop expansion approved
The Boring Company’s plans to expand The Vegas Loop from 29 miles and 51 stations to 65 miles of tunnels and 69 stations are approved by the commissioners of Clark County. The Loop currently has two miles of tunnel and has five stops and the original plans to expand it to 29 miles and 51 stations but The Boring Company have altered the plans. This expansion will connect Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium and downtown Las Vegas.
Vegas Loop is expanding – 65 miles and 69 stations! Thanks to @ClarkCountyNV for the great partnership.
Vegas Loop is expanding – 65 miles and 69 stations! Thanks to @ClarkCountyNV for the great partnership. https://t.co/1vMU7Ha0mn
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) May 4, 2023
Musk: Kremlin drone attack ‘likely false flag’
In response to a Twitter user’s post outlining what the user sees as a lack of evidence for the Kremlin drone attack being an assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin by Ukraine, Musk says that the attack was likely a ‘false flag’ attack, meaning it could have been set up by Russia for the purpose of blaming Ukraine.
Strange days. Seems more likely a false flag than an actual (weak) assassination attempt, but either are possible.
Strange days. Seems more likely a false flag than an actual (weak) assassination attempt, but either are possible.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2023
Musk: Ford’s EV strategy is ‘smart’
Musk calls Ford’s electric vehicle strategy “smart” despite continuing reports of losses from its EVs. Ford’s financials show its electric vehicle business to be generating 40% negative margins for the first time since separating its EV (Model e) business unit. Tesla leads the industry in EV margins, selling its vehicles at a 15-25% gross margin and ~10% net operating margin. Musk:
Always tough with margins for new vehicle lines, especially when there are major technology shifts. I think Ford’s overall strategy with EVs is smart. The electric F-150 (Lightning) has high demand.
Always tough with margins for new vehicle lines, especially when there are major technology shifts.
I think Ford’s overall strategy with EVs is smart.
The electric F-150 (Lightning) has high demand.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2023
Twitter down to 1000 employees
Twitter downsizes to only 1,000 employees, including about 500 engineers, about 90% less than worked for the platform just before Musk took over. One employee states, “performance reviews are constant,” leading to frequent firings with little to no explanation given and causing remaining workers scramble to meet demands. Even before the slash, hundreds of workers had already left. Musk:
The issue is like the company’s going to go bankrupt if we do not cut costs immediately. This is not a caring, uncaring situation. It’s like if the whole ship sinks then nobody’s got a job.
Conservationists sue FAA over SpaceX launches
Conservation groups sue the Federal Aviation Administration for approving expanded rocket launch operations by SpaceX without an environmental impact study (EIS), an extensive study that includes public review and can take years or decades to complete. The FAA approved the launches based on a far less thorough assessment and a finding that SpaceX activities at Boca Chica pose “no significant impact” on the environment.
The federal court lawsuit is filed in the District of Columbia by the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Save RGV (Rio Grand Valley), and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation. It says that explosion was only the latest in a series of at least nine that have occurred at Boca Chica in recent years and that the mishaps are disrupting a haven for protected wildlife and vital habitat for migratory birds. The plaintiffs are asking the court to vacate the finding of no significant impact and require a full EIS before any more launches occur.
This case concerns whether the nation’s commitment to preserving our critical wildlife habitat and treasured coastal landscapes must be sacrificed as we reach out to explore the cosmos.
Musk: First Starship launch ‘roughly what I expected’
In an audio chat with SpaceX fans, Musk says Starship’s first test flight was successful, even though it exploded before reaching space, and says a new rocket can be ready for liftoff within six to eight weeks, along with repairs to the damaged launchpad.
The outcome was roughly in what I expected, and maybe slightly exceeding my expectations, but roughly what I expected, which is that we would get clear of the pad. [The launch was] obviously not a complete success, but still nonetheless successful.
Musk says he hadn’t expected a “rock tornado” to be generated under the booster at liftoff and said SpaceX “chose not to start” three of the 33 Raptor engines on the booster, because they were not “healthy enough to bring them to full thrust.” Musk also said the reason Starship slid off the launchpad while ascending was “because of the engine failures.” SpaceX “lost communications” with another Raptor about 27 seconds into the flight due to “some kind of energy event” that knocked the heat shields out of several other engines.
At about 85 seconds, “things really hit the fan” and SpaceX lost its ability to steer the rocket. Finally, Starship’s Automated Flight-Termination System was working too slowly, so it took about “40 seconds-ish” to self-destruct. Still, Musk downplayed the effects of the explosion as a whole, saying the (Boca Chica) “pad damage is actually quite small” and should “be repaired quickly.”
Despite the fact that debris from the explosion fell into the Gulf of Mexico and rained dust onto residents of Port Isabel (as well as their cars and homes), that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service called the explosion responsible for a 3.5-acre fire, the spread of debris over 365 acres of land, and throwing of “pulverized concrete” up to 6½ miles, Musk says:
To the best of our knowledge there has not been any meaningful damage to the environment that we’re aware of.
Musk believes, too, that the Starship program does not need $750 million in additional funding it had been set to raise, and will spend about $2 billion on the Starship program to attempt five launches. Musk says he expects success by the end of the year;
I will be surprised if we exit this year without getting to orbit.
Musk: Publishers can charge Twitter users for article views
Musk announces that Twitter will allow media publishers to charge users for access to their content with just one click. The exact percentage of each transaction that will go to Twitter and the conditions for media publishers have not yet been disclosed. Musk claims that this will be beneficial for both media organisations and the public.
Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click. This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article. Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public.
Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click.
This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article.…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2023
Dorsey: ‘It all went south’ after Musk bought Twitter
In a discussion started by Bluesky users, Dorsey criticizes Musk’s leadership of Twitter, saying he should have paid the penalty to back out of buying the platform.
I think he should have walked away and paid the $1b.
Asked whether he thinks Musk is the right leader for Twitter, Dorsey replied:
No. Nor do I think he acted right after realizing his timing was bad. Nor do I think the board should have forced the sale. It all went south.
Dorsey (still a Twitter shareholder) also said he is glad new platforms like Bluesky are appearing.
Twitter to take 10% cut of users’ content subscriptions
As Twitter seeks more revenue streams, Musk says the platform will take a 10% cut of the money generated by users who sell subscriptions to their content (such as long-form text and video), but only after the first year. He also mentioned a drop in iOS and Android subscription fees:
We will keep 10% after 12 months, but iOS/Android subscription fees drop from 30% to 15% in year 2, so still a net gain to creators.
Twitter is trying to boost revenue following a drop in its advertising income just as it was being purchased by Musk.
We will keep 10% after 12 months, but iOS/Android subscription fees drop from 30% to 15% in year 2, so still a net gain to creators
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 28, 2023
Virgin Islands subpoenas Musk for Epstein documents
The US Virgin Islands subpoenas Musk to obtain documents in its litigation against JPMorgan Chase bank regarding the activity of Jeffrey Epstein when he was a customer. (The Virgin Islands government accuses the bank of “knowingly benefiting” from Epstein’s sex trafficking.) The filing states that Epstein “may have referred or attempted to refer” Musk to JPMorgan as a client, adding:
The Government contacted Mr. Musk’s counsel via email to ask if he would be authorized to accept service on Mr. Musk’s behalf in this matter, but did not receive a response confirming or denying his authority.
The subpoena seeks all communications between Musk and JPMorgan regarding Epstein, communications between Musk and Epstein himself, and all documents regarding fees that Musk paid to Epstein or to JPMorgan regarding Musk’s accounts or relationship with JPMorgan. It also asks Musk for all documents relevant to Epstein’s involvement in human trafficking and his procurement of girls or women for commercial sex.
Tesla lawyers: Musk’s statements could be deepfakes
Tesla’s lawyers argue in court filings that some of Musk’s statements about the safety of their autopilot features cannot be trusted, because they could be deepfakes. This includes Musk, saying in a speech in 2016:
A Model S and Model X, at this point, can drive autonomously with greater safety than a person right now.
The lawyers say they don’t know whether Musk really made the statements or not:
At first glance it might seem unusual that Tesla could not admit or deny the authenticity of video and audio recordings purportedly contain statements by Mr. Musk…The reality is he, like many public figures, is the subject of many ‘deepfake’ videos and audio recordings that purport to show him saying and doing things he never actually said or did.
Judge Pennypacker says these arguments are “deeply troubling” and tentatively orders Musk to be interviewed under oath for three hours about whether he made the statements:
Their position is that because Mr. Musk is famous and might be more of a target for deepfakes, his public statements are immune. In other words, Mr. Musk, and others in his position, can simply say whatever they like in the public domain, then hide behind the potential for their recorded statements being a deep fake to avoid taking ownership of what they did actually say and do.
The filings are part of a lawsuit brought against Tesla in 2019, alleging that the autopilot feature was defective, resulting in the death of the car’s owner.
Musk to Yoon: South Korea could get Tesla Gigafactory
Musk meets South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol to discuss building a Tesla factory in South Korea. Yoon wants a Tesla factory there and is visiting the U.S. for six days, so Musk requested the Washington meeting. Citing its high-skilled workers and advanced industrial robots, Yoon said South Korea is a good place for a Tesla “Gigafactory” and Musk told him that the country is a top candidates for one. Yoon also said that if Tesla decides to invest there, he would actively support the company in regards to location, human resources and tax.
Musk talks ‘the future’ with Schumer
Musk meets with Schumer to discuss artificial intelligence and more.
We talked about the future. We talked about AI and the economy.
Schumer says the meeting went very well.
We talked about Buffalo (New York) – Tesla has a large plant in Buffalo. And we talked about AI.
Met with @SenSchumer and many members of Congress about artificial intelligence regulation today.
That which affects safety of the public has, over time, become regulated to ensure that companies do not cut corners.
AI has great power to do good and evil. Better the former.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 27, 2023