Elon Musk is as well-known for his witty online banter as he is for his sometimes awkward in-person appearances.
The Tesla CEO has been particularly vocal lately as the pressure turns up on him and his Palo Alto-based electric car maker, which faces its most crucial test yet: Delivering hundreds of thousands of Model 3 cars, its first vehicle for the masses.
On April 1, he teased investors with an April Fool’s tweet that may have been a little too real for some, as the company’s cash needs are a constant source of stress for shareholders: “There are many chapters of bankruptcy and, as critics so rightly pointed out, Tesla has them *all*, including Chapter 14 and a half (the worst one).”
Tesla founder Elon Musk has made several eye-catching statements lately, ranging from the state of automation to government regulations.
“Car biz is hell,” Musk tweeted the next day amid reports that he was sleeping at Tesla’s factory in Fremont in order to more directly oversee Model 3 production. Tesla has missed its own production goals for the vehicle numerous times.
“Human are underrated,” he said by mid-April, acknowledging that Tesla may have been overly reliant on automation at the factory.
Along with Tesla, Musk runs the privately owned space transportation company SpaceX.
The stress appears to have gotten to him at times, as shown in some of his recent tweets. In a recent interview and tour of the Fremont factory, he assured CBS Morning News host Gayle King that he was “definitely” feeling stressed despite how it might appear.
“When things get really intense, I don’t have time to go home and shower and change, so I just sleep here,” he said, showing King a conference room with a couch. “Last time I was here, I actually slept literally on the floor, ’cause the couch was too narrow.”
A Tesla fan soon after launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy the billionaire executive a more comfortable couch.
More from Silicon Valley Business Journal:
Tesla investor urges company to dump Elon Musk as chairman
Are construction costs killing new Bay Area housing?
California businesses face growing number of legal actions over stormwater runoff
Be the first to comment