Day: May 17, 2023

In a recent interview, Tesla CEO Elon Musk delved into a range of topics, providing insights into his takeover of Twitter, his views on work and productivity, Tesla’s ability to navigate economic cycles, the potential impact of China’s actions on the global economy, his involvement with OpenAI, and his political stance.

Regarding his management of Twitter since taking over, Musk revealed that Twitter’s Community Notes feature had cost the company $40 million in business. Two major clients reduced their spending after their advertisements received community notes accusing them of false advertising. He further stated that Twitter had a negative $3 billion in annual cash flow and $1 billion in the bank when the acquisition was finalized. Musk compared the situation to being “teleported into a plane that’s in a nosedive headed to the ground with the engines on fire and the controls don’t work.”

Defending his controversial tweets, Musk asserted his freedom of expression, stating, “I’ll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it.” He specifically addressed tweets that were criticized for lending credence to conspiracies about George Soros and a mass shooting event in Allen, Texas.

Musk shared his personal work ethic and habits, revealing that he takes only two or three days off per year, works seven days a week, and gets six hours of sleep each night. He expressed his belief that it is morally wrong for people in the “laptop class” to advocate for remote work while service workers, such as those in factories, still have to show up in person.

Turning to Tesla’s resilience in economic downturns, Musk acknowledged that the next 12 months may be challenging due to increased interest rates impacting consumer budgets. However, he highlighted Tesla’s advantage in leveraging real-time information on demand for their cars to effectively adjust pricing. Musk criticized the Federal Reserve, predicting that it would be slow to lower interest rates when the economy slows down, which he believed would negatively affect consumer demand.

Addressing the potential impact of China’s control over Taiwan on the global economy, Musk drew attention to the interdependence of the Chinese economy and the rest of the world. He compared the situation to separating conjoined twins and emphasized that it would have severe consequences for many companies, including those relying on Chinese manufacturing, such as the production of iPhones.

Reflecting on his involvement in the early days of OpenAI, Musk expressed disappointment with the company’s departure from its non-profit origins. He explained that OpenAI emerged as a non-commercial alternative to Google’s growing dominance in AI, which was his primary motivation. Furthermore, Musk revealed that he is no longer friends with Google co-founder Larry Page, citing an incident where Page labeled him a “species-ist” for prioritizing human consciousness over machine consciousness.

In terms of his political views, Musk stated his belief that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election, although he acknowledged the existence of some voting fraud. He admitted voting for Biden but expressed dissatisfaction with his choice, expressing a desire for a “normal human being” as president.

Elon Musk’s wide-ranging interview touched on key issues, providing valuable insights into his activities, opinions, and concerns.