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17 Jun, 2023

Musk: Biden’s tax plans will ‘upset a lot of donors’

Elon MuskJoe BidenMakes Statement0 Comments

A little over an hour after President Biden tweets:

It’s about time the super-wealthy start paying their fair share.

Musk responds:

I agree that we should make elaborate tax-avoidance schemes illegal, but acting upon that would upset a lot of donors, so we will see words, but no action. Those who will actually be forced to carry the burden of excess government spending are lower to middle income wage earners, as they cannot escape payroll tax.

16 Jun, 2023

Musk: Tesla’s market cap directly tied to solving autonomous driving

Antoine ArnaultElon MuskTesla Inc.Makes Statement0 Comments

At Paris’ VivaTech innovation conference, Musk says Tesla’s market capitalization is directly tied to whether it can solve autonomous driving. French businessman Antoine Arnault ribs Musk about Tesla’s $827 billion market cap, noting it dwarfs LVMH’s valuation. Musk says he has little insight into stock price movements and suggests that Tesla’s market cap is tied to whether the company is able to perfect autonomous driving technology (he has been saying for several years that Tesla is close to solving autonomous driving, but the company’s cars still only provide advanced driver assistance features).

Valuations are a strange thing. Sometimes I’ve said, ‘Hey, I think the stock price is too high at Tesla,’ and then the stock price goes up. I’m like, ‘okay.’…Really the value of the company is primarily on the basis of autonomy. If you look at our total vehicle output, it’s almost two million vehicles this year or something like that. But that’s still only 2% of total vehicle production. The potential for autonomy is that the value of autonomy is so high, that even if you have a discount, a percentage probability of autonomy happening, that is so incredibly valuable.

He also repeats the idea of Tesla owners turning their vehicles into a fleet of self-driving robotaxis, which he once said would be implemented by 2020.

13 Jun, 2023

Musk: ‘Battery supply constraints’ delaying Tesla Semi production

Elon MuskTesla Inc.Makes Statement0 Comments

Speaking at an energy conference in Texas, Musk says Tesla does not expect to start higher-volume production of the Semi Class 8 electric semi-truck before late 2024. He cites battery supply constraints as the reason. Musk did not explain exactly what “higher-volume production” means for the Semi, a niche Tesla product built at Gigafactory Nevada that Musk considers essential for accelerating the company’s transition to more sustainable energy.

12 Jun, 2023

Yaccarino sends first memo to Twitter employees

Elon MuskLinda YaccarinoX (formerly Twitter)Makes Statement0 Comments

Yaccarino sends her first communication to Twitter employees. In a 320-word memo, she writes that Twitter is “on a mission” to become a “global town square for communication” and says that the “success of Twitter 2.0 is all of our responsibility.” She also mentions thinking “big,” starting from “first principles,” and “building something new from the ground up.”

From space exploration to electric vehicles, Elon knew these industries needed transformation, so he did it. More recently it has become increasingly clear that the global town square needs transformation — to drive civilization forward through the unfiltered exchange of information and open dialogue about the things that matter most to us.

10 Jun, 2023

Musk: Unabomber ‘might not be wrong’

Elon MuskTed KaczynskiMakes Statement0 Comments

In response to a tweet quoting the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, Musk says that he may not have been wrong in what he said. (Kaczynski was an opponent of modern technology who created homemade bombs that caused 16 explosions, killing three people and injuring 23 others between the years 1978 and 1995.) Kaczynski wrote:

The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

Musk:

He might not be wrong

Musk laughs at Bill Miller’s Tesla short fail

Bill MillerElon MuskTesla Inc.Makes Statement0 Comments

Musk tweets a laughing emoji at the legendary investor Bill Miller for shorting Tesla stock when it was less than half its current value. In a CNBC interview, Miller said that he was betting against Tesla because of increased industry competition. At that time, the company’s market value was around $357 billion, but now it stands at $774.6 billion – a 116% increase. Its stock price was at $244.40 as of last market close. The increase was fueled partly by investor hopes that the Federal Reserve would ease its interest-rate-hike campaign, along with a pickup in demand for Tesla vehicles because of price cuts in China and the US. Miller:

I shorted it recently. I shorted more today. If it goes up, I’ll short more. Tesla is now losing market share. They’re cutting price. BYD is introducing a luxury version over in China. It’s a phenomenal company, but it’s not worth $380 billion, in my opinion. I just don’t think it’s worth more than the top five automakers in the world combined. And all of them are coming with electric vehicles.

8 Jun, 2023

Musk invites liberal TV hosts to Twitter

Don LemonElon MuskRachel MaddowTucker CarlsonX (formerly Twitter)Makes Statement0 Comments

In a pinned tweet, Musk invites liberal television hosts (Rachel Maddow, Don Lemon and “others”) to bring their shows to Twitter to try and balance out Tucker Carlson’s presence on the platform. (This is the second time he has invited Lemon to start a show there.)

It’d be great to have @maddow, @donlemon, & others on the left put their shows on this platform. No exclusivity or legal docs required! You will receive our full support. The digital town square is for all.

5 Jun, 2023

Netanyahu ‘greatly’ appreciates Musk’s ‘contribution to humanity’

Artificial intelligenceBenjamin NetanyahuElon MuskIsraelMakes Statement0 Comments

After speaking on the phone with Musk, Netanyahu calls him “a person whose intelligence and contribution to humanity I greatly appreciate.” In his account of their “long” conversation, the prime minister says the two discussed artificial intelligence – something Netanyahu says he wants more of for Israel, and plans to convene a team about it. He adds:

[Musk] expressed his view that Israel could become a significant global player in the field. Just as we turned Israel into a global cyber power, we will also do so in artificial intelligence.

2 Jun, 2023

Irwin confirms resignation

Ella IrwinX (formerly Twitter)Makes Statement0 Comments

Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety, confirms her resignation from the company in a pair of tweets. She does not say why she resigned, but the move comes just after Musk criticized Twitter’s handling of tweets about a documentary that questions transgender medical treatment for children and teens. Irwin says “one or two people noticed” that she left Twitter the day before and notes speculation about whether she was fired or quit. She also jokes about posting 24 tweets to explain her departure.

In all seriousness, I did resign but this has been a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so thankful to have worked with this amazing team of passionate, creative and hardworking people. Will be cheering you all and Twitter as you go!

Musk predicts lawsuits against Target

Charlie KirkElon MuskTargetMakes Statement0 Comments

Musk predicts lawsuits against Target after the company’s value sinks more than $15 billion following boycotts over its controversial “PRIDE” collection. Reacting on Twitter to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who wrote:

BREAKING: JP Morgan just downgraded Target’s stock, after its longest losing streak in 23 years citing “too many concerns rising’. Happy Pride Month Target!!

Musk says:

Won’t be long before there are class-action lawsuits by shareholders against the company and board of directors for destruction of shareholder value.

Kirk replied to Musk by encouraging legal action against the company.

1 Jun, 2023

Boreing: Twitter suppressing one side of ‘trans debate’

Elon MuskJeremy BoreingThe Daily WireX (formerly Twitter)Makes Statement0 Comments

Daily Wire CEO Boreing accuses Twitter of joining other “tech superpowers” in their suppression of “one side of the [trans] debate.”:

Twitter canceled a deal with @realdailywire to premiere What is a Woman? for free on the platform because of two instances of “misgendering.”

(“What is a Woman?” is an online film about gender and transgender issues presented by conservative political commentator Matt Walsh.) Boreing says he thought Twitter was “the perfect place to distribute the film” because of its “recent commitments to free speech,” adding:

Twitter responded with enthusiasm and offered us the opportunity to buy a package to host the movie on a dedicated event page and to promote the event to every Twitter user over the first 10 hours. After reviewing the film, though, Twitter let us know that not only could we no longer purchase the package they offered, they would no longer provide us any support and would actually limit the reach of the film and label it as “hateful conduct” because of “misgendering.”

When the Daily Wire noted that Twitter had actually removed its policy around misgendering, Twitter representatives allegedly “clarified they only removed ‘misgendering’ from their policy because they didn’t need to be that specific, but that they still consider ‘misgendering abuse and harassment,” and also said that the Daily Wire’s “own followers would not be able to see it in their feeds.” As Boreing puts it:

We brought all our shows to Twitter Tuesday because we believed Twitter was committed to free speech, especially on this issue. After all, the @TheBabylonBeewas silenced on Twitter over this very issue, and that in part prompted @elonmusk to purchase the platform. The other tech platforms have already decided where they stand in the trans debate and demonetize and deprioritize all those who disagree. Now, Twitter has joined the ranks of the other tech superpowers in ensuring one side of the debate is suppressed.

@elonmusk is not beholden to conservatives. He has the right to run his business as he sees fit. But if Twitter is going to throttle one side of one of the most important debates facing society, it cannot claim to champion free speech.

I hope @elonmusk will reconsider this awful policy. If we can’t debate these issues on Twitter, where can we debate them? If conservatives aren’t welcome on Twitter, where are they welcome? It’s unlikely another centibillionaire will come along to offer an alternative.

We plan to post the movie anyway tonight at 8:00 pm eastern. Will Twitter make good on their threat to throttle it and label it “hateful conduct,” or will Twitter live up to its great promise?

We’ll all find out together.

31 May, 2023

Musk apologizes to Magneto for Soros comparison

Elon MuskGeorge SorosThe Babylon BeeInterview0 Comments

In an interview with The Babylon Bee, Musk is asked about his comments comparing Soros to the Marvel character, Magneto, while claiming Soros ‘hates humanity:

Sorry Magneto. Y’know, I shouldn’t have said that. It was unfair to Magneto.

Musk criticises NPR: ‘You don’t generally bite the hand that feeds you’

Elon MuskNPRPlaceholderX (formerly Twitter)Interview0 Comments

In an interview with The Babylon Bee, Musk talks about NPR leaving Twitter, after the company labelled it as state0funded media:

We’re trying to apply the rules consistently at Twitter. If we’re going to call some media state-affiliated, then we should apply the label equally. They got pretty upset at that, and said that ‘state-affiliated’ implies that the state has editorial authority and influence over the content. So you’re saying you don’t have that? How self-aware are you? NPR literally, on their own website, said government funding was essential to their operation. We even changed [the label] from ‘state-affiliated’, to ‘state-funded’. That’s literally a statement of fact. But they’re unhappy with that. They have got to their punches in criticizing the government. It’s just a guess, based on their extreme dependence on government funding. I mean you don’t generally bite the hand that feeds you.

29 May, 2023

EU: Twitter ‘can run’ from disinformation obligations, ‘but can’t hide’

Elon MuskEuropean UnionThierry BretonX (formerly Twitter)Makes Statement0 Comments

Twitter withdraws from the European Union’s Code of Practice on online disinformation. But Twitter is considered a “very large online platform” under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and is therefore obligated to assess and mitigate systemic risks to civic discourse and electoral processes, such as disinformation, under pan-EU law. Breaches of the DSA can attract penalties of up to 6% of global annual turnover, but VLOPs are given a three month deadline to comply. Internal market commissioner Thierry Breton:

Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation. But obligations remain. You can run but you can’t hide. Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under #DSA as of August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement.

Israel: Musk promoting ‘fake news’ about COVID-19 data

Covid 19Elon MuskIsraelMakes Statement0 Comments

Israel’s Ministry of Health says Musk was promoting “fake news” regarding COVID-19 data when he replied to a tweet from ZeroHedge, claiming Israeli data showed “zero young healthy individuals died of COVID-19.” Musk wrote “Zero …” (Twitter added a note to the Zero Hedge tweet, saying Israel’s health ministry “has called this article ‘misinformation.’”) The health ministry writes:

Elon, unfortunately this is not what the whole data shows. fake news is dangerous. Israel Ministry of Health was asked on chronic disease data and explained that we don’t have access to clinical records. We know from clinicians that young healthy people did die from COVID and hopefully data on that will be available on the near future from our HMOs.

27 May, 2023

Cuban: Twitter algorithms designed to help Musk

Elon MuskMark CubanX (formerly Twitter)Accusation0 Comments

Cuban accuses Musk of rigging Twitter algorithms to promote his own tweets. He says that because Twitter’s “For You” timeline, which is the first thing users see on the app, ranks tweets by the amount of interaction by a user’s followers, that it make’s Musk’s posts more influential, as he has the most followers, and the most interactions on the app. Cuban still has 8.8 million followers, but worries the algorithm change will affect how he promotes his online pharmacy, Cost Plus Drugs.

I figured I was/am on some Twitter s— list that doesn’t show me to new or existing users as a possible follow. I thought maybe, by paying the annual contract, that would change. It didn’t…It stands to reason that the person with the greatest number of followers will have the greatest influence on the most number of For You timelines. And For You candidates include, as stated above , tweets that people you follow engage with. So who @elonmusk engages with on Twitter has an ENORMOUS impact on what an indeterminable number of people see in their For You Timelines

25 May, 2023

Musk: Tesla might ‘open source more code’

Elon MuskFord Motor CompanyJim FarleyTesla Inc.Makes Statement0 Comments

Musk says Tesla might open up some of its operating system code to other automakers. Responding to Ford CEO Jim Farley, he says Tesla would:

…be helpful on the software front…In the same way that maybe Android is helpful to the phone industry as sort of a general standard, like we could potentially open source more code.

Musk and Farley also hinted at other potential partnerships in the future, including in the supply chain, and when Farley questioned him about Tesla’s Corpus Christi lithium refining plant, Musk said he does not believe there are enough entrepreneurs in the U.S. digging into raw materials mining and processing. He wishes Tesla didn’t have to pick up the slack. With its nickel-based cathode refinery in Austin, Tesla might also have to get involved in anode manufacturing, but “hopefully not,” Musk says. He also believes that there will be a huge market for synthetic graphite (graphite is the main material in most lithium-ion anodes).

24 May, 2023

Musk: Starship will lift 300 tons expendable, 180 tons reusable

Elon MuskSpaceXStarship (rocket)Makes Statement0 Comments

Responding to a Twitter user, Musk says SpaceX Starship with improved Raptor 3 engines should lift 300 tons in expendable mode, or 180 tons in reusable mode.  This compares with two years ago, when Two years ago Musk estimated a Starship would lift 250 tons to orbit in expandable mode and 150 tons in reusable mode. For comparison, the International Space Station weighs 450 tons and took around 50 Space Shuttle launches to complete. An earlier, SpaceX concept, called the Interplanetary Transport System, was planned to carry 550 tons expendable, 300 tons reusable.

Starship payload is 250 to 300 tons to orbit in expendable mode. Improved thrust & Isp from Raptor will enable ~6000 ton liftoff mass.

23 May, 2023

Musk: Tesla will ‘strongly consider’ building Gigafactory in England

Elon MuskTesla Inc.InterviewMakes Statement0 Comments

In an interview for The Wall Street Journal, Musk says Tesla is preparing to look for a location to build a new battery factory later this year and would assess England as an option.

I will strongly consider England for a future location of a gigafactory. We are not currently looking at new locations but we will probably towards the end of this year.

Tesla already operates several production facilities in Fremont, California, Austin, Texas, Berlin, Germany, and Shanghai, China. A factory in Mexico was announced in early 2023, but ground has not been broken yet.

Musk details succession plans

Elon MuskInterview0 Comments

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Musk discusses his succession plans, including potential successors, how to handle ownership control of his companies, his plan for an educational institution to control his shares, and how he will not automatically give his children shares in his companies:

Succession is one of the toughest, age-old problems. It’s plagued countries, kings, prime ministers, presidents and CEOs, since the dawn of history. There is no obvious solution.

There are particular individuals that I’ve told the board,  ‘Look, if something happens to me unexpectedly, this is my recommendation for who should take over.’ The board is aware who my recommendation is. It’s up to them of course.

I want to make sure the stewardship ultimately accrues the benefit of humanity. We’re not always successful in that, but that is aspirationally our goal. I have one idea that is partly in place, which is to create an education institution that would control most of my vote.

I am not of the school of automatically giving my kids some share of the companies, even if they have no interest, or inclination, or ability to manage the companies. I think that would be a mistake. It’s a very hard problem to solve.