Musk is going to micromanage his company to death. I have zero confidence that this company is going to last. Without any sound fiscal control, a company's debt is going consume it whole after a matter of time.. His management style is also turning off alot of talented people from working there. Musk should get some help and step back honestly.
20
@Ashrock Yes, he definitely needs more help, but my money is on him. He'll get through this.
4
Is it just me, or musk is the new trump?
Getting a little tired of him and seeing him all the time on the news. Would be nice if he just went away and stopped the constant ego trip.
67
The Board of Directors of Tesla needs to act and remove Musk. This interview shows that he is not rational. Every executive of a publicly traded company knows that speculating about issues that may impact the company’s stock price is illegal.
32
@Robert Pryor yea we need Tesla to act more like the Big Three, who kill people for decades and lie about it, falsify gas mileage, whine about how impossible it is to get 40 mph. You know, the usual "sane" stuff!
4
@Lori Nelson. This is not about Tesla or the Big Three. It is about Mr. Musk's irrational behavior, and violation of securities law.
Howling can an individual last working 120 hours a week, not sleeping and taking drugs to help him sleep? Mr Musk should take a leave of absence and take care of himself. He’s a disaster waiting to happen.
7
He's a brilliant man. But what a sad, empty life.
9
I'm not sure what Musk is asking for here? For us to feel sorry for him? Not happening.
26
There is a lot we know and don't know about Mr. Musk, and we can all draw inferences from his actions. He has contributed to this dialogue by marketing himself, creating a persona if you will. He is clearly a brilliant innovator. But he needs us to know this. Arrogance is the most despised human trait and the distorted perspective that comes with it often proves disastrous. He is the anti-Buffet. One can certainly imagine Buffet stepping in to help young men stranded in a cave, but not for publicity. He is a governance train wreck, directing his board buy Solar City and now apparently considering a repeat play with Space X. His recent tweet was irresponsible at best and inexcusable under any circumstance. He doesn't appear to be a good inside leader and appears not to inspire loyalty from his executive team. His public Sandberg reveal is not going to help with recruiting. His likes businesses that benefit from government subsidies and seems to have taken Enron's regulatory/legislative playbook off the shelf and dusted it off. Let's hope for his sake and for the sake of his employees and investors and customers that have paid deposits that he didn't read the chapter on accounting and finance.
19
@Q
He is brilliant at getting some people to believe he is brilliant.
19
@Hellen
Proof in the pudding?
How many Tesla drivers do NOT love the car?
@Ellinor J
I have yet to meet a single one. I have been at the superchargers and people treat their Teslas like a pet or a family member in the fondness for it. I have been to the delivery center in Fremont, California. Families, individuals and others are excited like kids around Christmas. It is very special to see. Somewhat resembling some of the Apple fans and their love of the products. Well, that comparison is apt. Look at the whole ecosystem Tesla is building - solar panels and solar roofs, battery storage, electric vehicles, etc. The whole ecosystem is there. Look at how Apple blew past their competitors for much the same reason. I'm very impressed by what Tesla is up to. I have stopped trying to guess what they will do next - they see many steps beyond what I can see. Happy to be along for the ride...literally.
Please hold a moment while I find the world's smallest violin that can summit itself to you.
116
Why is the Times assisting Musk in his self-indulgence? Why not hear about the difficulties of making Tesla’s in his nonunion shops, and the terrible hours and poor treatment? Why must Americans continue to believe in a myth that was obvious propaganda when Andrew Carnegie and his cronies paid for it a century ago? Entrepreneurs are not messiahs. They are often not particularly good at running a business. They certainly are not, by some virtue of being an entrepreneur, moral exemplars or particularly good people. Musk seems to be having a rather public collapse of late. Perhaps with some privacy rather than enabling he could heal himself and get back to doing the very unimportant work that he does. Like running the company he claims to care about.
196
@Gregoire7
The workers at Tesla are free to organize at any time, but last I checked they do not want to do it, despite the sometimes underhanded efforts of the UAW and their cronies. I have met many people who work at Tesla and besides having a well-paid job, they are part of the mission. The fact that everyone also get stock options does not hurt. This is a modern company with a modern workforce that can see beyond what unions bring. I have nothing against unions per se, but I do not like some of their tactics and how people always equate non-union companies as exploiting their workers. Not so.
1
@Anders most likely your disdain for unions has colored your searching. Tesla currently faces a federal investigation into union-busting (indicating that they are NOT free to unionize) and has faced years of rising complaints of safety hazards, injuries, and coverup that are exactly the kinds of things unions are best at preventing or minimizing. Not to speak of the fact that most of the factory workers assembling the cars are paid below the national average for their jobs, and in California where the cost of living is extraordinarily high, to boot. It's a modern company, all right -- devoted to enriching the board and directors and shareholders overall, like the rest of the vultures of this late-stage capitalist dystopia we all live in.
2
Elon Musk seems to suffer from the same ego problems as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg did. No one is as smart, innovative or as hard working. And they all had that same unrealistic expectation of those who work for them, yet those workers do not reap the same rewards.
It is tough to have to let go of the reins of a company you started.
But the constant temper tantrums and denigrating of others ends up to be the undoing of many a genius.
48
I would add that he exhibits the classic narcissistic symptom of deflecting blame by appealing to the trait that you have, but he doesn't – empathy.
15
Musk is a disgrace - he really showed his true self with the pious meddling in the Thai rescue case.
Once again social media has shown itself to be a very dangerous platform.
21
@Plennie Wingo
My vote goes to him actually trying to contribute and do something when millions just watched the news and hoped someone else would rescue them. While his "pedo" comment may not have been wise, the person he addressed had not just dismissed his idea, but rather told him to go stuff it somewhere. So much for appreciating help in a difficult situation. Also, others in the cave diving and rescue business were all for this solution - at least as an option. I don't know about you, but if I or my family is in danger, there are few people I'd rather have dedicate themselves to help us that Elon Musk. A great human being. It will be evident to all in the near future.
1
Why would I care about someone who is worth 20 billion dollars when this country is full of people who work just as hard and can’t afford housing or proper health care?
28
@R.Singer - Not to disappoint you, but some people are more talented than others in our society. And that get's rewarded. He was not born with his talent, he has aquired it. Arguing that people that work has hard as he does but can not afford housing or proper healthcare either requires you defining what hard work means or explaining me how or why in your opionion Musk is priveleged with two companies...
@R.Singer We should have compassion for anyone who is suffering. And clearly he is. What may seem like no problem to you may seem insurmountable to someone else. We've all been there.
@R.Singer I agree that there are many, many problems in our country that need to be addressed. But Mr. Musk is not in the health care business, he's in a business that will ultimately help save the environment. We need to look at the president and Congress to pass legislation for affordable health care and housing. But sadly we have an incompetent person in the White House and a Congress that wants only to make billionaires richer. I sympathize with what you said, but I don't see how Mr. Musk's story relates to your points.
This is the plight of the business owner. The future of the business is reliant on every decision you make. But according to Democrats like Obama and Elizabeth Warren- "You didnt build that". If it werent for government, you couldnt exist, so in compliance with your social contract, we need to take just a little more from you.
And then they wonder why the stock market went on a parabolic 30% move starting the day after Trump was elected. Democrats could never understand business, and what it takes to create a job.
1
@Sports Because under Bush, we got a massive recession and we're still waiting for trickle down economics to happen.
8
@Sports
Did you really read the "You didn't build that" article following the speech? You clearly missed the point.
That's what I don't get about republicans. They can take just about anything and turn it into something else.
3
Parabolic probably doesn't mean what you think it does. But if you did mean it, love your dry irony...
1
We used to celebrate our Thomas Edisons, our Benjamin Franklin's, our Henry Fords.
Now we can only tear them down.
11
If only Nikola Tesla would likewise have been such an object of celebration.
7
The guy is brilliant and incredibly successful. But it's also clear he's at least under incredible stress and has some flaws. That's not extraordinarily unusual, but it dilutes effectiveness. He'd do better to stop tweeting, especially if it's being done while medicated; focus on running the company; and hire the right person to be second in command and have the self-discipline to delegate some to that person.
4
My kids will learn about the great elon musk and the tireless workers at tesla who saved the planet by sacrificing his fortune, his freedom, and his family to prove that electric cars are able to replace toxic gasoline vehicles. No single person has done more to abate climate change than elon musk.
4
LOL. Good satire.
7
Elon Musk, The problem isn’t short sellers. The problem isn’t in the production line. The problem isn’t Tesla workers. The problem is as old as the first electric car. The problem is the battery!
7
Mr. Matson: How can you make a charge like that?
2
@Donald Matson
I keep a notebook and pencils ready at all times. If and when the space aliens land in my front yard, I am going out immediately and quiz them on all the details of their battery technology. You are correct: what humans need is BETTER BATTERIES. If somebody is zipping around the atmosphere after traveling light years to get here, it's a given that they've figured out batteries. And I want to get that basic patent.
3
@Dr. Mandrill Balanitis do you own a smartphone? Is it battery powered? The
OK he’s hurting. I get it.
But lashing out at short sellers and trying to manipulate your stock price is not the solution.
177
Helping to drive the price down via this published interview for a buy back is not a bad strategy
@Shiloh 2012
Remarks by Musk that he hopes to take Tesla private can hardly be construed as "lashing out" at short sellers, but one can certainly understand his frustrations with their narrative's effects on Tesla's share values. This is especially true in light of his (over)work.
The question of whether he intended to affect share prices by his remarks is one that really can't be assumed. The $420 figure he tossed out as a potential offer price for shares (a 20% premium) suggests he's most interested in getting Tesla out of being publicly tradied.
Who thought changing the world would be easy? Might have to experience some discomfort in order to grow... If it’s not restricting your breathing, then it’s small stuff. We don’t sweat the small stuff. History doesn’t record the folks that work 40hrs a week, stay between the lines, don’t step on any toes, and sleep 8+ hrs a night surrounded by the comfort or their loved ones. We’re Tesla. We’re changing the world. We don’t have time for dumb stuff. I believe in the company, technology, people, and vision. Don’t give up Elon.
11
Give the man a break.
He is the reason we have electric cars on the streets, rockets in the sky and solar in many of our houses.
Pay some respect...
110
@BBD Quite remarkable at how many people actually believe this. We had all these things before Musk, just not the carnival barker monorail salesman approach to them.
3
@BBD Quote of the day. Lots of people here are bashing him because he's rich. Even if he was on most people's level, which he was, he's a creative, driven do-oriented man. He's changing the world for the better every day through his companies.
It's easy to throw rocks from outside the glass house, but the people here bashing him find it too easy to hide in their mud huts.
@BBD he didn't invent any of these things. It's interesting that so many of the comments here make it sound as if he did all all these things.
2
The problem is pretty straight forward.
Elon needs to cut back and he needs more sleep.
Look at this list.
The percentage of the population that can function optimally on less than seven hours sleep is zero.
Evolution has given us zero tools to deal with lack of sleep, we are the only species to attempt to undersleep.
Margaret Thatcher & Ronald Regan both boasted about only sleeping 4 hours a night, both now have Alzheimer's.
An adult sleeping only 6.75 hours a night would be predicted to live only to their early 60s without medical intervention.
There are now more than 100 diagnosed sleep disorders, of which insomnia is the most common.
The testosterone levels of men sleeping only five to six hours a night is that of someone a decade older than men who regularly sleep seven to eight hours.
~Information from Dr Matthew Walker, Director of Human Sleep Neuroscience, UC Berkeley | Book 'Why we Sleep'
I wish Elon every success but, I'd bet my house that Elon will have an Alzheimer's diagnosis within the next three decades.
14
@Stephen
Ronald Reagan does not now have Alzheimer's! He's dead!
Remember?
16
@Slipping Glimpser True sleeping glimpser, nevertheless Stephen is right that sleep is a Need....
@Stephen
Funny. there is no established correlation between sleep and risk of developing Alzheimers. It's genetic and probably also due to deterioration of the brains lymphatic and vascular system. Lack of exercise probably has way more influence. Ohh, and by the way, Regan had Alzheimers so bad that he is now dead.
2
Never thought I'd be prompted to say, "Poor guy" for so rich a man.
Much sympathy
6
Musk is a flim flam man. He is a smart carnival barker who has raised endless streams of capital. The jig is up. Tesla is all about the "bigger sucker" theory. It is not an "investment." I am not a "short-seller". I am a realist.
7
@Mark You don't have a clue what Elon Musk is about. Elon Musk is the current version of the American Dream- a visionary like Jobs, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison. We should count ourselves lucky to have someone like Elon Musk around to counteract the numbskull we have in the Oval Office.
28
Do the GM executives and shareholders in your state of Ohio also fall under the category of flim flam men? Auto plants closing left and right in your state? Thousands of jobs lost? looks like Elon could of opened Tesla anywhere in the world but he chose the United States. Also looks like he prefers people to have jobs and for those people to think and innovate. That hard work pays off, that to consider there are different and better way to do things. Instead of the folks of Ohio waiting for the pipe dream of big auto to return maybe the should go to California and give Elon a hand and get paid for it. Oh wait wait Trump is giving you those jobs back, I stand corrected.
2
@Mark And your evidence of such broad brush character assassination?
2
Poor Elon. I'm sure none of us here ever had a stressful job, worked a 100 hour week, or didn't spend enough time with our kids when they were little. Poor Elon.....
17
I cannot feel sorry for this guy at all. I had lost many a summer, special events, etc. because I had to work overtime, 12-14 hour days 7 days a week, for months to meet schedules too that guys like him could fill their pockets and go on cruises, play golf, etc.
All I have to say is to Mr. Musk is quit your bellyaching and man up to your job!
81
I respect Mr Musk’s struggle with mental health issues. I’ve had my own and can certainly understand. I respect his success and prodigious intellect. I do, however, have a tough time feeling compassion for his very public pity party. He has more money than most of us collectively will ever see in a lifetime. He should use it to get himself some of the best help his money can buy, rather than sending convertibles to space or mini-subs to Thailand. Or crying to journalists.
82
Another distraction tactic! This man is amazing. He makes it so no one ever looks at Tesla’s financials. Instead, he always creates a new story to make it so the narrative is not “Tesla once again losses billions”. Simply genius. Musk is our Trump—he will do anything to take attention away from how awful his business acumen is
24
@Fred
got any proof for those statements? How many revolutionary billion dollar companies have YOU created? Just curious.
2
This is why we need more LGBTQ, women and people of color in placers of power. He is simply a ridiculous person of privilege who has no perspective on the conditions of the planet and its people. If we can figure out how this silly person got to the position he is in we might give humanity a chance.
17
He got to where he is by having decent ideas and working 100 hours a week for the past 25 years or so. This is no mystery.
34
@JLP why are you inserting identity politics into this equation? Elon’s vision and success and/or failure are based on his individuality, not the characteristics of his identity. The man is trying to make the group world and future better for everyone. Playing the suppression Olympics with everything in life will lead to bad outcomes. You couldn’t have it more wrong here
@JLP A 'ridiculous person of privilege'??? Are you kidding??? Question for you: what envelope have you pushed lately? What have you contributed??
As a Tesla owner, never have I driven a better car. The thought, futuristic components of the car assure me that the 2 1/2 year wait was worth it. Musk is a genius, not particularly a best friend kind of person. Invest in the car, the future of cars, Space X ( I live in FL) and the future and Musk, but don't expect friendship. Business, design, out-of-the-box thinking is what gave us the Tesla, roof solar panels, Space X and what next? As an American I say this is the best atmosphere for genius. Bravo - Elon Musk.
464
@LunarDay
Train is out of the station.
@LunarDay You have a low bar for "genius." Solar City is failing, and his battery factory is in trouble. SpaceX is succeeding because of their COO Shotwell and gobs of money and talent from NASA and government contracts. He is building cars in a tent set up in the parking lot because he completely flubbed his "factory of the future" because he has no training or background in manufacturing or engineering. Tell me what break-through technologies that Elon has created. What he has is a $130,000 car that few can afford and a "car for the masses" that costs north of $70k. Brilliant. The major car companies are going to clean his clock.
Reading this comment board makes me sad for America. We used to hail our successes and revere exceptionally productive people. Anyone who has driven a Tesla knows it is a marvel of modern American engineering. Just putting that car on the road is a stunning accomplishment. But Elon Musk also has a thriving rocket company, is building the world’s largest battery factory, was a founder of PayPal and has dozens of other accomplishments to his name. In today’s America, that’s a reason to be ridiculed and despised. The Internet has destroyed this great land — giving every citizen a forum to anonymously expel their most venomous bile. I wouldn’t blame Musk for selling out to the Saudis. They wouldn’t put him through the insufferably inane garbage that gets flung at him in this country.
1022
@Chasrip "Anyone who has driven a Tesla knows it is a marvel of modern American engineering"
No. It is a marvelous piece of technology - some US and some (the battery construction), Japanese.
It isn't clear at this point that it will succeed in the mass market while making a positive financial return. Right now all we have is a niche expensive car (>$55K) for people who want to virtue signal. (There are much quicker, cheaper and easier ways to save the planet, such as eating less meat but that's a different discussion).
Engineering is about delivering the right values in a product or service in a profitable way (best use of scarce resources). You fall into the clsssic trap of confusing Technology with Engineering.
2
@Chasrip: I share your concern. As you stated so aptly, America no longer values knowledge, excellance or achievement which, by the way, never arises without huge effort and forbearance. But these days, the moment the public sense the slightest weakness in these intrepid dreamers and doers they are belittled by those with no vision.
Why is that...envy? Backseat drivers who don't have the guts to take the wheel? Afraid of change? No vision for the future? Too many in our nation are more interested in tabloid personality scandals and non-sensical conspiracies rather than intellect or common decency.
3
@Chasrip Your comment is brilliant, and so needed for it cuts to the heart of the problem, ¨We used to hail our successes and revere exceptionally productive people...In today´s America, that´s a reason to be ridiculed and despised.¨
1
Mr. Musk is a genius of our time. He needs to know that most drug-resistant insomnia is caused by sleep disordered breathing, an easy fix if you know about it. This is frequently associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is all according to Dr. Vernon Rowe, Neurologist and accredited sleep physician (see https://www.neurokc.com/general-article/insomnia-may-be-more-of-a-breath...
10
What ever can happen; will.
1
He needs to get a reliable #2 man right away. Otherwise, "Can you spell Steve Jobs"?
5
I have no sympathy for this billionaire who just a short time ago was bragging about launching a car into space. Maybe he should launch himself into space.
27
A friend of mine worked with Musk directly and was in meeting with him and this is what he said about him " he is a jerk and would never work for him again in any capacity and treats everyone from a top executive down even to a custodian as dirt", I would not buy TESLA just because the man is not stable to lead the company. It eats him up that the naysayers are making his stock go low and short sellers are laughing all the way to the bank. Who in their right mind forms a make shift assembly line in the Freemont parking lots facility and as CEO of the company works on the assembly line just too make promised 5000 cars a months, that is a sign of a crazy man
22
This foreign born and bred "robber baron" and "malefactor of great wealth" in the new "gilded age" does not deserve any empathy nor sympathy for his corrupt crony capitalist corporate plutocrat oligarch welfare queen "troubles ".
13
Elon Musk’s problem is...Elon Musk. If he had stuck to his knitting, Tesla, instead of starting a battery company, and a solar company, and a rocket company, and a hyperloop company, he’d still be overworked, but maybe within reason. He had to build a submarine for the Thai soccer team, because? It’s as if he avoids problems by taking on crazy new ventures. Make Tesla work, Elon. Forget everything else.
49
is he trying to drive Tesla stock down so he can take it private?
12
"Don't bite more than you can chew."
11
Anyone who disavows Elon Musk's ideology is an ignorant fool. Elon is one of the few members of society that has the audacity to look at the status quo and question it. How could anyone say Elon is a selfish man not doing his job? The guy literally is trying to save every single humans daily problems. For example, he saw how traffic was an issue, so he is working to build tunnels underground for cars, busses, and trains! Also, the act of driving can be mundane and humans have proven they are incapable of safely operating vehicles.. so he is trying to make them autonomous! Not to mention, he is single handedly saving NASA. Does Tesla have issues? Yes. But last I checked, every single company does. The only difference Tesla is actually making a notable contribution in society to help improve everyone's lives, so that is why everyone seems to care. And why would anyone want to cheer against something that will literally drastically improve their lives?? Any person with a negative comment along the lines of "I feel bad for anyone who works for Tesla" or "He's not performing and stealing investors money!" or "He has lost control of his company and should step down".. Goodness, lets try not to be so naive on this lovely Friday.
30
The man is all over the place. It's no wonder the cracks are showing.
He wants to create and launch reusable rockets to space.
He wants to create and perfect driverless cars.
He wants to build a high speed tunnel in California that shuttles people back and forth in high-speed pods.
He wants to send people to colonize Mars.
He wants and needs a good night's sleep.
Elon Musk has great intentions but his objectives and goals need to fill more immediate needs.
Help out with homelessness and the horrible treatment of veterans in this country. Pull a Bill Gates or a Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter and try to eradicate one or two major diseases on the planet.
Help conserve the environment of the planet we already and only have.
But most of all, get back to reality and the problems facing this planet and all of its inhabitants. There would be no more noble initiatives than those.
Mars is a dream and a distraction, along with the tunnel and driverless cars.
Wake up, Elon Musk.
53
One wonders why Musk wasted one second on building and promoting a useless device for the Thai cave rescue instead of sticking to the job at hand -- making Tesla successful and profitable. He thinks he's the smartest person in the world and knows more about water filled caves than experienced cave explorers and divers when he's probably never been deep into a cave, let alone one with water to the ceiling in some places. This, of course, is only one example of his arrogance gone wrong.
And why does he obsess so much about short sellers? He should execute his plan as he said he would and ignore the short sellers. If he met his stated objectives, the short sellers would mostly be out of the game licking their very expensive wounds and wary of returning for more abuse.
And why sell "flame throwers" (which, of course, were not "flame throwers" any more than "Tesla Autopilot" is really "autopilot") instead of focusing on the job at hand -- making Tesla successful and profitable?
It's probably time for the Tesla board to bring in an adult to run Tesla and, if Musk is willing to, keep Musk aboard as a CTO of Advanced Technology or something like that far removed from production and design of the next model/model year.
19
This is what his pricey crisis communications people had him do? An interview where he cries and plays a victim? This is getting embarrassing.
57
I'm surprised how immature and petty this self-styled genius sounds. If I was a stockholder I'd be annoyed by his whining about long hours, particularly because he earns millions a year in stock. Come, get it together buddy.
22
I read all these negative comments toward Musk that seem to imply a rich man can't be sad. While the underlying sentiments in a such a notion is understandable, it is simplistic and unfounded. This man has classic bipolar disorder. He is sick and is suffering, and he will hurt himself and others if he doesn't get the care he needs. I hope someone on the board scales him back for his and Tesla's sake.
11
This will make a great movie, but it seems likely the ending will not be a happy one for Musk or Tesla.
The good news is that Musk is not irreplaceable. Electric cars were happening before Tesla and will continue to happen regardless of whether Musk and Tesla succeed. Sorry, Mr. Musk. I suspect this is your greatest fear. But it is the simple truth.
12
At least Elon should realize that short sellers don't matter, they don't have any effect on the company. Short sellers either make money, or they lose money, but that money comes from other Tesla stock sellers and buyers.
4
Leading a company at all phases of it's life cycle are strenuous and take perseverance. Stay the course! It takes a TEAM!
11
Elon Musk has had an excruciatingly painful year of his own making. The 120-hour work weeks are evidence of what has long been his Achilles' heel: an inability to delegate. While Musk is driven and intelligent, he is also a micro-manager with a tendency toward megalomania. He seems to believe that no one can do anything as well as he does, so he must do it all himself. Clearly things are out of control when he skips family weddings, birthdays, etc., and spends 17-hour (average) days at his workplace to tweak production targets for a car.
I hope the Board of Directors can step in and effectively enforce a change in this untenable situation. A better organizational structure with clear reporting responsibility might go a long way toward relieving Tesla's problems at so many levels-- from the executive suite to the production line.
21
May know what’s ailing Elon – and may have a fix…
Energy and information…
Can distribute both over long distances through wires or pipes (fiber optics – aka lightpipes), but similarity ends there…
Information creation’s limitless…
Put an unlimited number of cameras out there – collect unlimited info…
Energy’s different…
Put out an unlimited number of solar cells or wind turbines – find out most should never have been put there in the first place…And wouldn’t have been, without huge public-sector subsidies and mandates…
If you think battery storage is the fix – ask why things like this are being proposed…
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/07/24/business/energy-environme...
Pumped storage claims scale – but at large capital cost and loss…Efficiency claims for pumping as credible as were output and regularity claims for solar/wind…
Incidentally, based on free markets, natural gas would way outperform renewables till gone…
Hydro’d be cleanest and most-available – but large-scale projects being blocked everywhere…
Nuclear would be most limitless – and where Elon comes in…
Over past 50 years, convinced ourselves safe nuclear impossible (though China apparently didn’t get the memo)…
Using same failure-based reasoning, did same for lunar landing…
Elon’s debunking one – and could nail the other, given a chance…
Could name his reactor company Fermi…
Poor guy’s going nuclear, anyway – no point to trying to recharge his batteries…
3
There is more to this than his sad story. His company is in deep trouble because they are spending way too much and not producing anything promising. The Saudis will buy anything to create a stir and keep the family happy (they are heavily investing in Google) just like Pres. Trump triggers the forex market with tweets about Turkey, and other countries. Those tweets affect people on the ground. I think the days of big oil is going to change once again and Musk will have some tears to shed as countries secretly work out their deals due to the trade tariffs and that Panama Canal opens up. It is a wait and see I think...
3
The mind and the body cannot take the work hours. It is impossible to be efficient. He is trying to do way too much. It will take on a toll on him soon as we are seeing.
11
Many people work long hours and struggle to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Back to school time is very stressful on families that don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on new clothes for their kids. Working 50+ hours a week and still living in fear of being able to cover your monthly necessaries exacts an "excruciating personal toll" on those families because their stresses put them a paycheck or two away from total disaster.
Perhaps if Mr. Musk dropped out of sight for a while and went and lived as a regular, struggling working person for a while, he'd gain a little perspective. Probably not though. He's only interested in being revered and worshipped as clearly evidenced during the cave rescue. When his efforts were not embraced with accolades and a parade, he threw a tantrum on Twitter.
29
@ShirlWhirl Actually, he's primarily interested in revolutionizing automobiles and rocket ships. No matter how much money he has, he still works endless hours trying to accomplish great things. And when you say he threw a tantrum on Twitter, what he did was level baseless criticism at someone; it was along the same lines as what you're doing now by saying that Musk only cares about being revered and worshiped.
9
I love the guy, but he needs to check into one of those upscale treatment centers (preferably hidden in Arizona, not Malibu).
The stress is making it hard to sleep, so he takes Ambien. Ambien, like most sleeping pills, requires more and more to be effective. It's normal, the body adapts. Ambien also has a tail, so you're still high hours after taking it. People tweet while on Ambien, it's ended quite a few careers.
Ambien is a great drug, if used properly. Musk is a very great man, if used properly. He needs a break and he needs to titrate down on the Ambien. He doesn't need to go to zero, but he does need to use it properly, and ban all tech from the bedroom after he pops the pill and not let any near him until 8 hours later. He'll be fine. He's a genius who needs a little rest break (and stop it with the women a fraction of his age, that affects emotional maturity, hanging out with girlfriends in their 20s when you're pushing 50. And, emotional maturity is required of a CEO).
26
Having a bright mind does not make a leader. Musk simply does not have what it takes to serve as the CEO of Tesla. Looking at a number of Musk quotes over the past few years clearly shows he's a bit unstable.
11
With respect: Why does this Musk story hold a more prominent NYT spot in the "paper" than a president in the process of savaging our nation's constitutional government?
28
Why should we care about his mid-life crisis? Companies come and go, think Kodak, so, if Tesla goes, it goes. The media's obsession with Musk makes no sense to me.
20
Gee, I know he has way more responsibility than I ever did at my long-time job. He's clearly brilliant.
But I worked days and nights (in WI) so I missed years of natural light, outside air, I missed entire seasons, family time, holidays, you name it.
Was it worth it? Yes and no.
I loved my job, or at least found value/validation in it. It certainly wasn't financially large, but I did have benefits, which was a 'plus' situation, for sure.
I had some wonderful friendships and interactions in my longtime workplace.
However, the stress burnt me out, ruined my health and led to an early 'retirement,' that had I not been so ... wrecked ... would have realized the pace and duration of the stress had actually created the very disability that made me so ill I could no longer keep up.
I don't know Mr. Musk's solution, except would guess he has many, many options. And since he's now been exposed to the perils and consequences of this type of toxic workplace situation, he could learn from it and become a more humane employer. That would be a 'win-win' outcome.
14
Do 2 things...
-stop using dope until the company turns a profit
-close your Twitter account
33
Tesla is not about the future, it is about the 'now'. The notion that electric automobiles are the way to the future does not comport with reality. Eventually, probably within the coming two or three decades, the world-wide production of petroleum will peak, followed by a possible rapid decline. Rather than clinging to the naive notion that electric everything is the way forward, the issue of petroleum depletion, and its likely affects on national and international transportation are cast aside. Petroleum is the base substance for all human enterprises in our time. Once depletion takes hold, and the human population is considerably larger, 7.4 billion at present and projected to increase to 9.3 billion by 2050 (United Nations) the remaining petroleum will be directed to more important national needs; for example, defense, medicine, winter heating for much of the nation and so on. Building automobiles and upkeep, let alone expansion, of the nation's road system will be a distant past dream. The best way forward is to prepare for a decline in petroleum, and significantly expand and upgrade the nations standard railroad system; not high speed rail. We humans have an impressive capacity to envision the future. However all human enterprises a vision must comport with reality. A future in plain sight.
6
Mr Musk just needs to ask a very fundamental and elemental question: "How can I be of service, being who I am now?" The answer to that question always depends on the individual and his/her current state. Once he gets a answer, he should stick to it. Hope he finds it.
3
Mr. Musk has often been compared to Steve Jobs. The difference seems to be that Mr. Jobs had multiple public failures, including being ousted from Apple and then seeing NeXT fail before seeing the incredible success that occurred after hie return to Apple. Perhaps this will happen to Mr. Musk.
5
Sorry he’s hurting. Sounds really like a terrible way to live.
Time is all any of us have. Is anything worth this? Change it, or you or walk away.
The world won’t notice in a month.
11
Mr Musk - You are a problem-solver. It would be much appreciated if you would come over to the other side of the Atlantic and solve Brexit for us. And, once you've done that, if you feel they don't appreciate you in the US, stay. We could use someone like you.
10
Mr. Musk, for your own sanity and health, seek help. You are a brilliant man but you need assistance to take some of the pressure off of yourself. The stress you are putting yourself under is not at all healthy and your lack of proper, restful, sleep is - like it or not - resulting in irrational behavior.
10
People, especially powerfiu people like Musk (and Trump) should stay away from using social media as an outlet for venting their feelings and thoughts (or lack of thought). As for his complaining about working too hard: welcome to the everyday world of most Americans Elon.
11
Maybe someone else has said this way down the line, but I haven't read it...this man sounds suicidal and needs a friend to take him to a doctor. Seriously. Being told to suck it up, you can do it, stop feeling sorry for yourself: this is NOT what someone at the end of their reserves should hear.
Mr. Musk, take a break and seek help before you get to the point of no return. That you predict a much worse future is telling: get support before you lose all hope. The world needs you.
12
He's brilliant & I'm cheering for him to succeed but he seems to lack the common sense to get someone else on board to help. Nobody can do it all. The board should intervene. He really needs an ally to compliment him & help make Tesla succeed. It would be great to see. We all work better with balance in our lives.
14
Sounds like he's pulling a Hamlet. “This be madness, yet there is method in it.”
5
Give the man a break, people!! There are few who have achieved so much so quickly and so brilliantly. PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla!! He is extraordinary. And, it comes at a cost.
15
Definite delegation issues here and I think Musk needs to hand off the majority of SpaceX operations to someone else.
Also, he should probably get someone else to be chairman of the board...maybe his buddy Reid Hoffman.
Musk can definitely be CEO of Tesla, but doing everything else I think is too much. Even for him.
9
I feel so bad for poor, suffering little Elon.
good grief
7
OMG! working 120 hours a week and missing your own birthday. Is this the first time he has actually experienced what its like to work in a startup? Tiny violin...
10
Musk is a deeply flawed human being, a maniac. He is also, with no question, the biggest disrupter and innovator in technology today. Consider the other big players, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat - they are, in the perspective of human history, almost embarrassing comparing what Musk has single handedly created.
His obsession with achieving the "impossible" lead to the success of SpaceX. He made electric vehicles mainstream. Again from SpaceX to Tesla, his companies had been constantly living on the verge of bankruptcy. This is not new.
Model 3 was a mistake, a typical over-ambitious over-the-head ahead-of-its-time Musk mistake. Tesla should have sticked with luxury lines fulfilling existing orders, and fixing up its finance issues before attempting mainstream.
I hope Musk gets the financing he needs and saves Tesla.
7
Poor Wunderkind! If Capitalism proves too tough for this fella then he should cash his chips and retreat to Esalen for advanced Navel Studies.
8
Where is his "ride or die" inner circle? Sounds like he is carrying too much alone. Time to let go of some things.
10
Say good night, Gracie.
5
Elon,
Sorry to hear about your problems. Much of it of your own making. The SEC problem...oh, you didn’t discuss this with your CFO. Production problems at Tesla...over promise, under deliver. Where is your management team? Oh, you don’t pay attention to them. You know it all. Short sellers got you down. Did you always tell the truth to your shareholders? Are you up front and transparent? Were you respectful to the analysts that follow your stock? No, no and no. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. Hubris will only get you so far. Try humble.
18
Wow, what a pity party this is!
It's always the same arc -- public suddenly and viciously turns on golden boy which causes the minders to flip out.
Golden boy tries to rationalize whatever, consults with many attorneys and reputation repairpersons . . .but in the end they always resort to the same tired old saw: "I was exhausted, stressed out, texting while driving . . .on the other hand I'm still the best person for the job. I'm fine. I'm a genius."
And Andrew Ross Sorkin.
8
I love Elon. He’ll get us to Mars. He’ll save this human species. And he’s also human. Give him a break, he’s had more success than virtually anyone else. Per audacia ad astra, Elon.
12
Virtually more success than anyone? How about the unsung and unpaid caregiving going on in homes across America? Success working with persons with physical and emotional and developmental needs includes a day with no pain, moving bowels, enjoyment, safety, and adequate respite for the caregiver.
8
Tesla, courtesy of Elon Musk, embodies entrepreneurship, global economy and innovations. We should applaud him and appreciate his accomplishments. He is showing his humility and humanity as well as trying to be transparent. What is wrong with that? Responsibilities are taking its toll. Some forms of empathy are warranted.
13
The same reason why I retired at a young age. It's not worth it!
1
I would like to point this out - we, meaning America need the talents and,the genius and the ability to inspire of Elon Musk - much more than Elon Musk needs America. He is a billionaire and can do what he wants wherever he wants to do it. America needs to develop electronic vehicles. We also desperately need to develop and make more use of solar power. The fires ravaging California should tell us this. If we want (and need) the benefits of an outsize genius, lets be smart for a change and bear with Elon, give him the benefit of the doubt and stop carping at him. He will do what is right for his employees and his fellow shareholders - give him some space.
10
Musk "got in a Tesla Model S and drove himself to the airport. En route, Mr. Musk typed his fateful (Twitter) message."
Perhaps the best argument against self-driving cars: texting while driving them may result in a crash -- your company's.
12
Boo hoo. Why do I find it difficult to feel sorry for M. Musk, as compared to, say, the Syrian family under fire or the parents of a child in hospital, and well, most of the planet, really.
7
perfect example of hubris
5
Takes a lot to make me cry, Elon. Self serving interview.
4
I would like to play the world's smallest violin for Musk
3
Someone needs to hit this guy with a tranquilizing dart before people get hurt. He's spinning all but out of control and he is telling us all he's not enjoying it. No friends?
9
So sad that a union busting CEO had to work through his birthday! Really, the NYTimes needed to treat this guy with kid gloves because he was sad and cried? Why miss the opportunity for asking tough questions about how he treats his employees instead of letting him turn the narrative to be one about how much he suffers? This is ridiculous.
10
Mr. Musk is a visionary and probably a genius. Without him the electrification of the automobile would likely have taken many more years. Moreover, his Boring Company and hyperloop concept could be the answer to the horrible congestion we confront in not just automobile traffic, but in our under developed public transit system.
That he had the interview with the NYT is laudable. There is much to ponder about him, but he has solved greater problems than operational efficiency of automobile manufacturing and my guess is that he will overcome financing challenges, whether as a public or private company. He can expect many more challenges, especially from established car companies with electric vehicles. However, I would not literally or figuratively sell him short.
10
Dear New York Times,
Slow news day? More than enough time to coddle and coo over pouting elites? Do your job. Let Entertainment Tonight dig into all that really riveting celebrity angst.
11
From a recent news story on Tesla in Gizmodo : “One former safety committee member, who asked to remain anonymous, [said] that they saw injuries including “broken bones and lacerations” that Tesla allegedly didn’t record.”
(“Tesla Whistleblowers Say Carmaker Failed To Report Serious Injuries at its Factory,“ April 16)
But what gets top billing on the Times’ website is how Elon Musk is feeling “excruciating... personal pain” because he’s stressed out about short-sellers.
8
This guy is a showman always looking for visibility in the media and, like Trump, free coverage through pugilistic and controversial acts and statements. The free pass that the media gave him with his "submarine" rescue concoction in the Thai boys trapped in the cave story is an example. I could not believe how he insinuated himself into that big story with his little inconsequential submarine machine solution. It was a big free propaganda scheme. And there he was everyday in the news. The submarine must have been a minimal expense next to the media brand visibility he garnered. This may be something similar. Why is the NYT playing along giving him so much space here? Front page news! At least put thestory in the Business section.
9
Career? At least you had a career! (Rocky-one)
1
Grow up Elon! You have to figure out when your out of your depth and use your enormous resources to find the right help to get your assembly line straight. Heck my cousins husband used to run a Cadillac assembly plant, he could probably straighten out things in a month. I'm sure there are others that could do that as well, you just need to need to step aside and admit that you can not be the answer to every problem. You've done that with SpaceX, why not Tesla?
3
Give the guy a break. When's the last time you landed a rocket on a boat?
14
Musk and Tesla divides people, just like Jobs and Apple did.
You are either a an unshakeable believer, or you are not. No middle ground.
8
He's the Chairman and CEO and he had to caveat 'to the best of my knowledge' whether there's a search for a #2?
It would appear the rest of the board has separated from Musk and finally fulfilling their duties.
Would not be surprised if there are more shoes to drop in the coming weeks.
2
I have had students working for a subcontractor at Tesla in Fremont working 12 to 14 hour days putting in dashboards. Tesla doesn’t have to pay the benefits since it’s a third party hiring them. If you want to work an eight hour day that’s too bad, got to get these orders filled. Their pay is small but these kids need the money living in Silicon Valley. Sorry but I don’t have much sympathy for Mr. Musk. He should try working the line for a while.
12
I think Musk intended for the model 3 to be a "mass market" car--and that I believe is the source of all of his pain. In order to make a profit, he had to strip down the standard features and maximize the cost of options to an absurd degree. To equip a model 3 like a $27,000 Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, raises its price to $54,000 (that doesn't even include normal luxury items like leather upholstery or rear radar). It is arguable whether the model 3 can qualify as a luxury automobile; but there is no question that it is not a mass-market automobile.
5
The ultimate meta strategy is to know when to change strategies. You became a success because you are so wrapped up in what you do. Time to change strategies or that will start being counterproductive. Add a dimension to the curve.
5
This is what running your own business is like... only most independent entrepreneurs don't have the resources or web of support that Musk could draw from — if he chose.
4
Did he really think that he could do what the entire global auto industry could not?
2
Alternately impressed and repulsed by Elon Musk.
Obviously a smart guy who has a potential for doing a lot of good...
....but yes, tends to go off on to 10 different directions rather than focusing on one.
That he now feels overwhelmed and exhausted ... probably best left to therapy and off the front page on the newspapers.
You like in a rarefied world of wealth Mr. Musk and most working people are over-stressed by the tasks they face in their jobs.
Pare down the scope of what you are doing, delegate what you can, and get on with it without whining.
9
Bah! NYTimes. Not even a mention of the intrinsic value of Elon Musk’s Atlas contributions and goals that will dramatically reduce anthropogenic climate change. He walks his talk while Wall Street, and now the Times, dither in feigned bewilderment about Musk’s exhaustion and desire to take the company private. Back off! How about an interview reporting the tangible benefits his brilliant, elegant technology – electric vehicles, solar rooftops, space exploration – can deliver for our aching planet? Wall Street remains stuck in the Dark Ages preferring dirty fossil fuels, short-sellers, and oblivious arrogance while the planet suffers and Musk holds on. We’re not big shots, but we’re with you, Mr. Musk. Please keep going.
16
It’s clear Mr. Musk is manic. He’s on an upswing. It reminds of someone I know who is manic and would blow tens of thousands of dollars on shopping sprees during their upswings.
Only here Mr. Musk’s pockets are much deeper and his bullhorn much louder. I hope he finds some form of treatment and finds mental peace.
9
Already building his defense of blatant SEC violations, stock price manipulation and I bet there is much more fraud under the hood...
8
Wow, a lot of armchair critics here on what Musk should and should not do. If the critics commenting here are so bloody smart, then why aren't any one of you running a company like Tesla?
Musk is an incredible, rare, and brilliant human being. Like plenty of such geniuses, he's mercurial, exhibits hubris, bravado, and may do/say things that confound others. Were it not for those traits that many of you are griping about, Tesla, Space X, etc. would not exist. They go hand in hand.
I don't see him as a manipulative conniving schemer. I see a man overtaken by his success and weight of what he has created and is realizing it. I give him for more credit than that.
23
you know who feels stress? the folks that plopped down 50k deposit on the future roadster.
9
Many comments here are sad. Elon you're rich, Elon donate your money to the poor, Elon rich don't have the right to cry. People are just so cruel.
The man is telling you he's working like a slave instead of indulging in luxuries. He's doing something about the crises we as humanity put ourselves into; we are on a non-sustainable path, killing ourselves and the planet.
I have a great respect for the man and feel for him.
No question he needs help with sharing this burden. Wishing him all the best.
20
Nobody knew mass production was so complicated :)
7
We can all go along with the "tortured genius" schtick for so long before we remember once again that this man has responsibility for the livelihoods thousands of employees and a great chunk of our economy. The future of the electric car and so many other innovations that have the potential to make this country energy independent are too important to be sacrificed to one man's hubris.
It's bad enough we already have one unstable, cocksure leader running his mouth on Twitter. We don't need two of them.
Get it together, Musk. Your organization needs a leader, not a prima donna.
8
Anyone who has enough money to never worry about affording the necessities of life gets no sympathy from me. There is enough real suffering in this country than sympathizing with an obnoxious member of the 1%.
10
Why does this keep showing up at the top of my feed? This is hardly the most important news to anyone beyond Mr. Musk's circle. Please stop doting on every tweet and foible of entrepreneurs and celebrities.
I'm sorry that he's feeling stressed. But a long article about that doesn't help him or me.
7
This is sad.
Sad for his employees because a person in his condition should not be in charge of their company
And sad for him. He is clearly in need of help.
And a sad commentary of our capitalist society when his board is willing to let him destroy himself in the name of adding value to the company
6
The narrative against Musk is created by short sellers and ruthless corporations who want to maintain the status quo. Human race is heading towards disaster, greedy people want to stop whoever try to do something.
I am on Musk side no matter what!
5
Yes Elon Musk is a genius but I'm not interested in reading about his mid life crisis in the New York Times. Narcissism and control-freakishness inspire instant narcolepsy. Just because he is a brilliantly accomplished, scholarly, and extremely rich entrepreneur, his mundane internal maintenance and psychological management is of no special interest to me. The man is 47 and cannot do it all. Delegate, Mr Musk. Get some therapy. I wish Tesla and his other enterprises every success.
7
I really, really hope
he takes care of himself.
These hard-driving people
are often harmful to themselves
and others. He has made a
gorgeous car, his goals are
fantastic but he needs to
step back, take a deep breath
and get help.
2
Musk is a high achiever, a creative get-it-done person, but his horse is too big to ride alone. All good managers delegate responsibility to trustworthy able subordinates. Hire more leaders and go back to your big picture view of the future and create more innovations. Good Job with Tesla. It's the future. I want you here to see it.
5
I love you Elon, I am sorry about all these comments from these cold Americans. Thank you for sharing the difficulties that you are having.
11
This is one of the most bizarre articles I've read lately. The guy's a billionaire. This is his company and his idea. So he works hard. So what? So the task is difficult. So what? His experience is no different than that of millions of Americans who are nowhere near the top of the economic pyramid.
21
Wow.
I am a huge fan of his mother. (Google Maye Musk if you don't know her). I also follow his brother on Instagram. I saw his brother's Instagram photo of the family at the wedding and thought "yikes - that one's not looking too good." Now I know why.
I don't know them. Unlike many others here in won't tell them what they/he should do.
But as someone who has seen friends get into real trouble while on Ambien, I strongly ENCOURAGE them to start an intervention. That drug is bad news.
Oh -
If I had the money, I'd buy the car.
(Well - I have the money. I just wouldn't spend it on a CAR! ;-) )
Susan
Expat in Ireland
8
Elon call me I can help you out. I'll be your backup. I'm absolutely sure I can do this!
5
I believe Elon Musk is one of the most important and active visionaries to have even come down the pike. I also feel that we need him. The stress and intense pressure he is under is of such dimensions I have difficulty imagining it. I say: cut him some slack ~ actually, cut him a lot of slack right now. The public would be doing not only Mr. Musk a kindness, but would also serve itself well by relaxing this scrutiny. And Elon, if you are reading this? Please give yourself a little holiday?
14
No sympathy here. I have friends who are software engineers, technical designers and project managers in Silicon Valley companies that work close to 100 hours a week, eat dinners of chips from vending machines, and miss weddings, birthdays and holidays. And they make a lot less money than the CEO. It's a culture that Mr. Musk helped create. I do admire his genius, but I'd admire him a lot more if he treated his employees--and himself--as humans and treated them as something more than what they can produce.
14
@TexasTabby Every single one of them chooses where to work and can quit any time they want to. Your complaint isn't a real one.
Do you really think that every employee should be paid the same as the CEO? Do you know how much Tesla pays our engineers?
7
Although Mr. Musk is clearly a bright guy, he reminds me of trump in many ways--huge ego, doesn't seem to welcome advice, can be rude and petty, and blames others for problems he creates for himself.
Don't go down that road, Mr. Musk!
5
Perhaps Musk can do something vital and worthwhile with his billions of dollars, something that will have an immediate impact on thousands of people who needed help last year.
Flint, Michigan is calling on line 1, Elon. Pick up the phone. Do the right thing.
4
As a high capacity translator, there are times I haven't left the house for 4-5 weeks, with others bringing me groceries etc. I live alone of course. Last time of a 4-day vacation was 8 years ago. Very high taxes (free lance), enormous health insurance premiums, means no time for even a coffee. Haven't been to a restaurant in 5 years. No relationships of course. I know nobody will read this because I'm not a celebrity, merely a "silent nobody". We' re many, actually, sharing similar fates.
12
Tesla has too many middle managers, which wastes money and slows things down. If he made cuts in middle management, maybe it would ease the financial strain the company is under and make things more efficient.
4
@JCMcP @JCMcP I'm a Tesla employee and I agree 100%. If anything brings Tesla down it will be paying thousands of people who don't actually do anything.
5
Why is Mr. Musk so upset about short sellers? They don't make him fail, rather they only benefit if he fails.
Oh, I get it, he's worried that the wisdom of the crowd of short sellers might be right and it makes him and Tesla look bad.
Since Mr. Musk won't do it, the Board of Directors ought to take a hard look at the perspective the short sellers have and use that information to strengthen the company by making the hard decisions necessary to hedge against the potential failures that are driving the short sell bets.
6
I'm not even Musk's friend and I'm concerned for his well-being.
9
Crocodile tears from a 1%er who has the SEC breathing down his back. There are tens of million stories of hardworking Americans who deserve more sympathy than Musk.
10
The short sellers aren't there to be mean.
The short sellers are there because of your well-publicized problems.
8
Poor little Elon. Having to manage - and account for - all that money he stole from OUR U.S. Treasure through government contract handouts.
My heart bleeds for him. Sure.
12
Jesus, cut the guy some slack. He is starting to MASS PRODUCE A CAR. Does anyone understand how incredible of a feat that is? It’s not like starting a social media company. I feel like we are holding him up to some crazy ideal where he has to be a visionary leader, run a company, AND maintain a work life balance. Oh my God, let him stress out and go crazy for a bit.
21
Like most people who accomplish extraordinary things, Musk is driven and has his personality flaws.
But no American, including Steve Jobs, has done more to change to world for the better and I find the many comments below telling him how to live his life and run his business rather arrogant.
What is his thanks for out maneuvering the powerful petroleum industry and moving a balking, short sighted auto industry toward making clean vehicles? Short sellers! What could be more perverse or cynical than creating a market system that rewards investors for destroying a clean job creating company that is making perhaps the best cars in the world, making them in the United States and is on the verge of making them affordable.
I know many Tesla owners. Some care about Climate Change and some don’t. But not one would return their car and drive dirty again.
The people that need to change their life style are the short sellers.
23
@b.noing. Clean vehicles? Ask where all those toxic batteries are being dumped?
9
@SW
Yeah, and if his cars were powered by windmills, you would be complaining about the bird strikes.
There is no satisfying some people.
3
There can be no clearer warning to the Tesla BOD that it is time to intervene, on behalf of all shareholders (including EM), to protect and preserve the Company for the benefit of all of its shareholders and the employees. To do nothing at this point would be a dereliction of their clear-cut fiduciary responsibility.
7
It's worth pointing out that there is a well sourced story that Mr. Musk fired his longtime assistant when she dared to ask for a raise. He told her to take two weeks off and he'd evaluate. When she returned he said basically that he can do just fine without her and fired her. Seems like he should follow his own advice. I'm sure Tesla would be just fine.
24
@Dana Since it's well-sourced, can you provide it? I work for Musk and this is news to me.
5
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-yourself-indispensable-at-wo... - and the author stands by her story.
1
Pre Trump I would have found Musk's tweet about going private to be an egregious violation of Regulation D. But the rules have changed. If Trump can comment on employment statistics prior to their release, and announce policy changes on Twitter, then Musk's slip should be noted but not become a federal investigation.
One might also posture that making a Twitter comment reaches more of the investing public-- especially the non professional investing public, much faster than an announcement on the broad tape.
3
Dear Elon, (old enough to be your mom, thus the first name)
You are a visionary, and so, there will be enormous challenges in your life. I've always told my kids, that "life is hard" and it is. However, you are immensely blessed with intellect, creativity, vision, etc.,etc.
Do not take anything personally. Some will be cruel because they are jealous or very wounded. Take care of yourself and your family and the success will come. Already has!
We own a 2017 Tesla X and LOVE it....though I would like better lighting inside. It's a beautiful car!
Thank you for making your cars IN THE U.S.A.!
17
Most people spend their birthdays at work. The fact that he's complaining about it says a lot about his expectations - at the very least, it seems like the spoiled rich boy has finally realized that he's gotten in too deep to take his usual easy way out.
18
Tesla and Amazon are genius personal-brand marketing examples which have allowed them overcome the start-up gulf and reach the critical-mass necessary to overcome inherent flaws.
The "affordable, convenient electric car" concept only works if you get enough critical mass to reach a point where enough people have them to make the production process large enough to be competitive + enough charging stations.
The success of long-term, critical-mass model companies is the fundamental change in modern industry.
Never was someone able to sell something non-profitable for so long on the promise of eventually, reaching a critical-mass which MIGHT bring profitability. It only works because of branding, stock funding models and government supplementation.
Same with Amazon.
Amazon's model makes no sense. The cost of delivery charge for the "last-mile" has always been prohibitive, and can only be overcome if there is a critical-mass of customers buying direct from producer.
Only when I buy a toaster direct from China (losing the middle-man) will it justify a human being making a special trip to my house to deliver it. Maybe.
There will always be some people willing to pay high for convenience, but nowhere near the scale it's at today.
2
I have two takes on this:
1. His career is undeniably challenging, but it’s hard to feel sorry for someone so privileged, especially since he doesn’t need the money—it’s all about his ego at this point. If he’s struggling to keep it together, he should step aside for the benefit of everyone in his orbit. Moreover, his complaints are even more egregious given the struggles of billions of working people all over the world. Most of us don’t get the day off on our birthday.
2. As a human, I feel badly for Elon, who seems like he may have some mental health issues. I wish him well, and hope he is able to receive timely professional help if he needs it.
12
Balance. balance. balance. Elon Musk is eluding to the fact that he needs it. Go get it! We need creative minds- let's keep them intact by living a life of balanced needs.
4
I think that Mr. Musk did this interview hoping to change the public perception after getting into trouble a few times in a row. Reading the comments here, unfortunately for him, it didn't work out too well. But, fortunately for him, there is some pretty good advice for him in the comments here.
11
I recently got my Tesla Model 3 after a two year wait.
It is a work of art, a masterpiece of American ingenuity and engineering, despite a few issues.
Mr. Musk, you should be proud.
Please take some time off, get some sleep but don't give up or go away.
It is just the beginning.
19
@MC
Isn't it amazing how many people who DON'T own one complain about them?
I'm a Tesla employee so I can drive one whenever I want. I think they're great and I'm a car guy.
Sour grapes. So many Americans just despise success. Really bums me out!
7
Dear Mr. Musk - Please be kind to yourself. Find someone who can teach you meditation. To be good to others, you need to be good to yourself. I wish you well.
13
I'm surprised that so much of the commentary posted is tinged with hostility and name Musk's "arrogance" and "ego" as the cause of his own downfall. While he certainly appears to possess a healthy dose of both, can any commentator on this site name a great visionary who didn't display such attributes? Musk is a self-made billionaire who could be using his vast wealth to sit back, remove himself from the fray and spend time traveling the world, having trysts with young models on yachts, and buying custom made $5,000 ostrich jackets. Instead, he is doing more than our own government to pioneer a better future for all of humanity. Although arguably he should take more time to rest and focus on his own health, I applaud Musk for asking not what his country can do for him, but what he can do for the world.
Genius is hardly ever appreciated in one's own lifetime.
21
Having worked for now the 3rd company to go public after along period of privacy, I can say as a front line worker that all it does is cause problems, after giving a large infusion of cash (which is spent rather quickly).
Stay private, it's not worth the aggravation.
7
@Diane Shirley
Tesla is already public. Musk is contemplating taking it private.
@Diane Shirley @Diane Shirley That's backwards. It's public now, but Musk would like to go private. Can't blame him. As an employee I would like it too.
2
Building cars is much harder than building software. Now you know.
5
That’s a snarky comment directed at someone who revolutionized space travel. Have you conveniently forgotten about SpaceX?
4
@Shantanu Ganguly duh. He is already building rockets.
3
He seemed to love the attention when he was ascending and getting the benefit of the doubt.
Like my old day says, be nice to the people on your way up, because they are the same one's you will meet on the way down.
10
Yikes! Tweeting while driving a car? Mr. Musk, please don't endanger other motorists and pedestrians while you're driving distracted. Stick to scaring us with your volatile stock prices.
3
A. Teslas can drive themselves.
B. Teslas have a hands free voice recognition system for texting or twitter for that matter.
5
Oh, and billionaires have drivers and pilots.
1
He could have adapted the time tested processes of Ford and GM. The companies that used to smelt iron and make cars. Instead he chose to reinvent the wheel.
3
True! Good for him, that's a visionary!
3
@KnownNonVictim What's your point? He should model Tesla after Ford and GM? LOL
1
A heart-wrenching tale of a long-suffering narcissist.
16
It appears that Mr. Musk is on the road to self destruction if he does not face down his humanity.
3
We have too many problems in this world that impact all citizens in all classes of economic ranking. The distractions that the tRump nightmare poses and now this -- honestly Elon Musk -- put your money and your mouth to more important causes. In this day and age of insane politics and misdirected party politics -- Elon Musk -- try at least to be a hero.
5
If Musk was capable of putting his oversized ego to the side, most of his self inflicted problems would vanish. But, much like Trump, he loves the attention and the drama. His grandeur attitude ruins everything.
8
Musk's self-pity would be more appreciated if he demonstrated the same level of understanding and appreciation for the employees at Tesla and SpaceX
4
Sounds like your typical Male Mid-Life Crisis to me......and he ought to just be quiet. It's taking a long time for him to realize that he can't be all things to all people.
6
Jack of all and master of none!
2
You'd sleep better if you weren't stealing from the working class to subsidize toys for rich people.
11
The CEO of Tesla cannot even use Twitter safely. And humans are supposed to manage self-driving cars and rockets without killing each other?
3
I'm mystified by the editorial decision to make an article about Elon Musk’s personal psychological and emotional struggles the lead (in your online edition) today. If this isn't a clear indication of a creep into sensationalism, I don't what is. Sadly, the term "fake news" has been hijacked by the partisans, for that seems to me an accurate description of this story. It might be appropriate to mention these sordid details as an aside (or parenthetically). But to offer the self-reported emotional state of a self-involved, self-important billionaire as “news,” when it is in fact merely a manipulative ploy designed to elicit our sympathy, is worthy only of the tabloids in the Supermarket checkout lane -- hardly what one would expect of the venerable and august “paper of record.”
13
Oh I feel for him as he sits on his large pile of cash.
6
Financial data underlying Mr. Musk's dilemma may help explain his recent emotional reactions. Per an article from the Times Neal Boudette (July 23, 2018), Tesla needs to "assemble at least 5,000 Model 3 sedans a week to become profitable..."
To breakeven, then, Tesla needs to assemble 5,000 cars per week; or about 260,000 cars each year, computed as follows: [(52 weeks/1 yr) x (5,000 cars/1 wk) =
260,000 cars/1 yr].
Mr Boudette goes on to state that: "the car, ... is so far available only in versions selling for $49,000 or more ..."
So, if Tesla makes 260,000 cars per year and sells them at an average price of $50,000 per car, it would generate $13 billion in total revenues. [(260,000 cars x ($50,000/1 car) = $13,000,000,000].
Contribution margin (CM) is a cost term referring to ((Sales Price - Variable Costs)/1 unit sold). It measures how much each unit of sales remains, and can be used to cover fixed costs. For this case, I used Ford's estimated CM of about 15% from its 12/31/17 financial statements to estimate Tesla's CM, a very back-of-the-envelope estimate. So, with a 15% CM per $50,000 car sold, Tesla's CM is about $7,500 per car. And, an estimate of its fixed costs, to be met at its breakeven point, is:
(260,000 cars sold/1 yr) x ($7,500 CM/1 car) = $1,950,000,000 in total FC and total CM. This breakeven formula is usually shown as:
BE point in units = (Total FC/CM per unit). To be a going concern, first, a firm must breakeven.
8/17 F 2:34p Greenville NC
4
Instead of a puff piece on why we should feel sorry for a flimflam liberal darling, how about doing an economic analysis on what kind of disaster looms for investors in a company existing on handouts from government of the past? He should be losing sleep; the show is almost over and the fat lady is about to sing.
7
Don't understand this comment board. Can we not reject his extreme tweets and still see his envelope pushing work helping the planet (and of-course making profit) when most of us are not doing anything.
Most humans are flawed, he is too. Not sure why the commenters feel so holier than thou.
10
Jealousy. Unfortunately.
6
Why are Tesla and Elon Musk such darlings of the New York Times (and even more so, the LA Times)? They constantly, daily I'd say, appear in the news, often rating multiple stories a day. I'm truly so sick of it. Why? Elon Musk seems to be in the same genus as the Trump type that wants constant attention. I fail to see why Tesla is deemed so fascinating and newsworthy as to warrant all this.
12
Oh the irony......of the namesake Tesla.
3
I’ve been interested in buying a Tesla for a while. However, each time I’ve gotten close to pulling the trigger, some kind of mini-crisis has erupted. I have more confidence in the car and technology than I do in the company itself sustaining long enough to service the vehicle through its warranty.
4
We love our Tesla X, we've nothing but excellent service from Tesla.
4
Success in very limited areas is as tough to incorporte into a human life as addiction. While E.M. has a fabulous sbility in some areas - ability that the country needs to see developed - tht not only does not mean the other aspects of his personality can be ignored, but need propping up.
Active parenting and solid relationships away from home - usually in a religious setting - are the most successful support systems for the developing geniuses.
We've never had electronic or computer engineers create a manufacturing company for vehicles. People here would profit by going to the new-car review media to gauge how Tesla is doing.
We own a Tesla, it's amazing, safe, and beautiful. Plus we no longer pollute!
4
@Mari
You no longer pollute? Really? Where do you think the electricity to charge your battery comes from?
How naive can people be?!
2
I think and I am not trying to be judgmental, he needs help. He should see a psychiatrist.( and I acknowledge I have not seen him or examined him ) He is a classic story of person who needs to see a mental health expert urgently! I am not sure the doctor who is prescribing him Ambien is well informed.
5
From Webmd:
"Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness that brings severe high and low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior. People who have bipolar disorder can have periods in which they feel overly happy and energized and other periods of feeling very sad, hopeless, and sluggish."
Lithium works for me Elon- just make sure you take it at the low end of the therapeutic range to retain your creativity. Good luck!
6
Try Elon Musk for that sweet smell of egress.
2
I bet his first regret is broadcasting his thoughts about taking the company “private.” Running a close second is agreeing to the Times interview.
Maybe he no longer has the temperament or aptitude to manage what Tesla has become. This is not to say he lacks talent in many areas, but those talents appear misaligned with his company’s current size and complexity.
The board should already know this by now.
3
Musk should set aside the genius persona and pick one area and get it right over and over, THEN move on.
6
Poor Elon can cry all the way to the bank. It reminds me of when the CEO of BP complained "I want my life back" a month or two after the Deepwater Horizon rig blew up and 11 people were killed.
7
I'm surprised by the hate. Musk seems like the type of person one would be happy to see succeed. Freakish schedule just ripens the need for business equivalent PEDs, but dude, Ambien isn't the answer, terrible drug, nasty withdrawals. Possibly going to take some heat for this comment, but I question the single male Thailand traveler too. Expats?
1
Mr. Musk: Again, awwwwww. Sad.
3
I generally have zero sympathy for Silicon Valley, which I think is full of arrogance about how they're changing the world for the better, do no evil, etc. etc., when they're after nothing more than what all companies have been striving for throughout history - talk about pompous and delusional. I can also make the argument that the valley, through their output as well as culture, has nurtured a sense of entitlement amongst their young employees that has actually eroded social empathy and changed things for the worse.
But I will make an exception to my disdain for Elon Musk. It's not that I think he is less arrogant (probably more, much more) than his peers or that as individuals we all do not face our own brick walls, but he built a brand new auto company from the ground up and has had a profound impact on the industry as a whole.
I am struck by the unmitigated enormity of this. But it sounds like he really needs to trust a few more people and unload.
13
Hi Elon
U r a good visionary. And a lousy manager.
Get a new CEO and stay as executive Chairman.
Also a very bad finance guy. Tesla is way overvalued. No way any investor shells out billions of dollars to buy overvalued stock at 30% premium (price today around $310). Get real.
4
So. Just though I would clarify something here-- Elon Musk did not invent the Lithium Ion battery. All he did was strap a bunch of them together. Not rocket science.
6
Musk is a brilliant, driven man of many accomplishments. But how much sympathy does this billionaire expect because he spent his birthday working? Or because he "almost" missed a wedding (fortunately, he owns a $70 million private jet to travel with)?
7
Hmm, the worst I ever did on Ambien was a bit of "Ambien" bang trimming. It didn't look so good in the morning.
3
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.”
― Henry Ford
8
This kind of dedication is what it takes to make it in Silicon Valley. Everybody here expects it. And, what Musk did worked. If you drive in the neighborhood around the Fremont factory you see car carrier after car carrier filled with Model 3s waiting to be delivered.
5
Another wealthy, "stable genius" cracking up on our screens.
I'm no devout worshipper, but I do think that Timothy (6:10) had it right. These are not the best people--from the left or from the right-- to "lead" us in any real sense of the word. Their lives are far too different from ours. As for Mr. Musk, he should get some sleep.
We need more "public servants," which used to be a term of pride in America.
6
Most forget that Musk created his incredible wealth by creating things that people want and need. His car, his space venture, Paypal, etc. are all ventures that people have bid for aggressively because they believed and needed them. His wealth, like that of Buffett, will eventually be given away. Right now he uses his own capital to invest in himself and his ideas. Those critical should ask what they have done for society and what risks they have taken and how much they have exposed themselves to criticism. It is much easier to criticize than to actually build and accomplish something. If everyone were able to accomplish one billionth of what this man has accomplished the world would be a much better place.
12
Musk is a winner and like many winners he is very hard on himself -- remember that stress is relative. The stress many Americans feel about feeding their families or holding down a job for few more years so they can retire is comparable to the stress he feels to keep Tesla afloat or whatever other first world problems he's dealing with.
That being said, I don't feel much sympathy for the guy. Tesla is a Silicon Valley status symbol and that is a fairly lame niche to fill. (The kids would say 'basic') Even the model 3 is comparable in price to a 5 series bmw - hardly a car of the masses.
3
He is trying to change the world. What have you done lately?
If you don't like the way he is going about it sell the stock... And keep staring at social media looking for validation of your life decisions.
I'm quite long on this trade. The world needs changing.
9
Tesla shareholders have done very well and the company’s valuation remains high So, what’s the immediate problem? Wall Street’s expectations for immediate higher and higher valuations which kill innovation.
Looking at the board’s comments, it seems that few people have a good understanding of Tesla’s ultimate goals and structure
The company is about brand new technologies and innovation, none of which historically occur on a quarter-to-quarter basis. This lead to Musk’s Tweet about taking the company private which got the stock to spike and that “some” view as a possible SEC violation. Musk is rightly addressing the fact that the entire company is working very hard but, in the near-term, Wall Street demands have created a distracting Sisyphean challenge
4
What does it mean that Elon Musk wants to build a sustainable future for all of humanity but can't even create a sustainable worklife for himself?
Good time to reflect on the perils of the overly macho culture of Silicon Valley.
7
Seems you could make a pretty good argument the Board of Directors is not doing its job.
115
As Musk has wrtten something to the effect of" it's sleep or Ambien ".
I am probably not the only person that used Ambien for a few weeks to sleep during a health related crisis and could hardly think straight from it.
For some of us it is a mind altering drug ,however one's normal perspective returns upon the cessation of this medicine.
4
We've really entered a new era where the personal story becomes the headline. Alexander Fleming worked long hours and gave us an antibiotic that expanded our lifespans. Jonas Salk worked long hours and gave us a polio vaccine that kept children out of the iron lungs. When their discoveries made their way to the daily newspapers it was all about the discovery....not so much headliners about how tired and frazzled the discoverers were-certainlly not about the stock market. This new emphasis on 'me' is all in keeping with the Facebook, Instragram, Twitter mentality....but not so much for any higher good.
14
He made billions by hitting a keystroke at a desk.Not much overhead there with vision funding.Now trying to create a larger than General Motors manufacturing giant in a few short years with financing by the US taxpayer is proving problematical. GM didn't make it either and in all actuality ,the US taxpayer owns GM.
@Alan Einstoss
Taxpayers do not own GM. Treasury sold it's position years ago, at a profit.
4
Am I expected to feed sad for a wealthy and powerful person who is struggling with delegation and time management?
8
Its important to focus on the bigger picture here. Those who care about the environment and want to fight climate change, and especially those who have the resources, should support Musk in his hour of need. He seems to be doing more to actually move humanity from its dependency on fossil fuels, through Tesla and Solar City, driving the rest of the industry in this direction. The short term pain / brash behavior should be noise in the over-arching goal. The more worrying question is - what happens to the electric vehicle (and the environment in the long run) if Tesla fails? [PS: its strange that there are not enough articles focusing on Wall-Street trying to profit by cornering an environment-friendly revolutionary car company]
8
@Rahul
"What happens to the electric vehicle (and the environment in the long run) if Tesla fails?"
It's hard for me to believe the environment will degrade more sharply or collapse more quickly than it already has been if Tesla fails. What will degrade and collapse quite rapidly if Tesla fails is the income, livelihood and financial security of Tesla workers. Please, let's stop putting him on a huge pedestal by believing he is some kind of savior of humanity. That also goes for any and all supposed visionaries, corporate or otherwise.
5
@Larry Dipple But who else is making a comparable effort to develop these technologies? It's true that a few other companies are working on affordable electric cars, but Tesla has an integrated solution in development that includes solar shingles powering vehicles directly. This is incredibly necessary work. As Rahul said, let's put aside the cult of personality and focus on the work that Tesla is doing. That seems to be what Musk was trying to get across in his interview -- the incredible strain of making these technologies happen in the real world -- but the article spins it all the wrong way and makes it into essentially a lifestyle piece about how stressed out he is.
@Lisa Oh save it. “Incredible strain?” It’s not the technology, it’s the the arrogance of pretending to be good for the environment when no amount of electric cars, no matter what price, is going to make a difference. It’s all a rich man’s game, not even a tiny bandaid on a fathomless wound.
And it’s an interview, not an article, and not to be taken at face value.
2
I could write this about hundreds of different people: Exceptionally talented, defiant, disciplined, driven, eccentric, significant contributions to society in his field, but can be difficult to work with. Hope he rewards people well for their hard work and doesn't drive himself, and his life's work, into the ground.
3
Oh how my heart aches for this poor little rich boy. I guess it's true that money can't buy you happiness, but it could be used to help those in need - put food on their plates, get their kids an education, pay their rent, pay for daycare. Perhaps he'd feel less excruciatingly pained if he used his wealth to help others.
6
Poor little rich boy? Really? That’s what you know about Musk? He has done more for more people than anyone in recent history by moving this entire planet off of fossil fuels and towards a cleaner form of transportation and energy consumption.
5
“By moving this whole planet off fossil fuels”? Wow. If the fate of this whole planet rests on Musk, we are in big trouble.
1
@Pat fans see their idols through rose colored glasses. And how are monstrous rockets (and private jets) saving us? Hypocrisy...
1
He has big ideas, he has made a mark. He clearly needs to hire some help to run the companies. It's absurd he is running around working 120 hours a week. His board needs to step in and professionalize these businesses before they are run into the ground.
6
Perhaps this can be an opening for the discussion of 80-120 hour a week workloads in general. Too many of us work them, involuntarily, just to scrape by on median or below incomes with the holy grail of health insurance (not that we can take time to go to the doctor.) Labeling large swaths of the workforce as "salaried exempt" allows bosses to work employees endlessly without paying overtime. Then they continually cut the workforce, so there's no one we can delegate to. Get so exhausted you get sick? Nobody else can do your job, so you'll just have twice as much to do when you get back. Get another job? If you're not to old you can try, but your next salaried-exempt job is likely to be about the same.
While Musk is in a different category (i.e., a wealthy CEO who works the hours voluntarily and who can at least probably pay someone to do his laundry), he does at least help illustrate the mental and physical toll of overwork. Along with many other labor reforms, the US really needs to look at the exploitation that comes from the "salaried exempt" loophole in labor law that allows below-median-income workers be required to work unlimited hours for barely 40-hour a week pay.
8
I couldn’t care less about MR. Musk’s personal side of the story unless I am a shareholder, which I am not. Regardless, not sure if this news deserves to be front page. I hope the best for Tesla because if they don’t make it then battery-powered cars may not commercially work ever.
3
Why are we leaving it essentially up to one person and one company to develop the key technologies to make sustainable transportation possible and change our energy infrastructure? No wonder the man is having a breakdown. This should be a full throttle effort by legislators, courts, local governments, all industries across the private sector, and taxpayers. If we’re not going to do that, let’s at least cut some slack to the person who is shouldering this incredible burden.
11
Long past time for the media to stop treating Musk and other Silicon Valley techbros like gods.
Tesla has 1% of the auto market. One percent.
The vehicles currently available cost 50K and up, hardly mass market. The company has yet to turn a profit and carries a big debt load.
Musk might have some genuinely great ideas, but perhaps we might want to remember Theranos, another breathlessly reported tech story.
7
On one hand I snidely request, please tweet me when to feel sorry for Mr. Musk (BTW I do not use Twitter).
On the other hand, when under substantial stress at a small start-up years ago I resorted to Ambien to help me sleep. At one point I asked my doctor if taking Ambien could be affecting my memory since I was noticing memory lapses. He said no, and I continued to take them. However my opinion is otherwise; after leaving that company and getting off Ambien the memory lapse issued lapsed and I was fine.
Tweeting that bit about having funding to go private - could this give rise to another Ambien defense?
1
There is no world in which running a company with barely any sleep or relying exclusively on Ambien for sleep is in the best interests of (any) company and its shareholders-see,e.g., resulting behavior like tweeting material, non-public information that isn't even accurate.
I get it's hard to relinquish some control when it's the company you built, but that's the nature of progress/life/reality. Hire a few qualified, C-suite people who have some distance and perspective. To respond to his last comment, these are the people who can do a better job. The company will be fine.
8
I am both admiring of Mr. Musk and little bewildered by him. There is no question he deserves kudos for Tesla, but he needs to delegate responsibility to others to ensure the overall health of the company. I also wonder about Mr. Musk's health; how much Ambien is he taking, and why?
5
We must be mindful of the torments billionaires have to face day after day. Aside from the heavy burden of having so much wealth, society needs to supply the always-do-wells with lifelong psychological support provided by our taxes. I cry for them.
Elo Musk has the wherewithal to drop his burden and walk away scot free, with no financial considerations looming during the remainder of his natural life. We should all sorrow for his being lost in the maelstrom of life's vagaries.
9
If a billionaire does not know how to be grateful for everything he has and has accomplished, then why should the rest of us care? Millions of people work hard, sacrifice their health, and still have far less comfort, security, and medical attention than Musk. He has the means to sell his company and retire - he has a range of choices related to whether he can continue to operate as he does, or not. He needs to learn how to be grateful for what he has, and quit complaining about how bad he has it. Many would probably stop what they are doing now at the drop of a hat to be in his position of advantage and privilege, and would know how to handle things with grace, while maintaining a sense of perspective toward tribulations and challenges.
13
Asked if the exhaustion was taking a toll on his physical health, Mr. Musk answered: “It’s not been great, actually. I’ve had friends come by who are really concerned.”
Then when I laid all this self-infused drama on 'em, they left like a, er, rocket.
4
If Elon Musk were to Merge Tesla with SpaceX, you would have a new car company.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Flame
This reads as pure spin—a PR piece to explain hubris in a sympathetic way.
Both his success and failures are driven by his hubris.
11
He is supposed to be in the business of making and selling electric vehicles. Instead, he is selling us all a bridge on east river.
If he has to be on Ambien and be hopped up on "recreational drugs" to deal with his stress, then it is time for him to go and let someone else handle the task.
He has too many irons in the fire, and is eminently distracted.
This report indicates that he was Tweeting WHILE DRIVING his Model S to airport. Unless it is semi-autonomous vehicle, he was being reckless on the road and cold have killed someone.
He is simply exploiting our weakness for anything green. This emperor is naked as mole rat.
5
I'm almost as tired of reading about Elon Musk as I am about Donald Trump.
21
Two sides of the same coin
2
Simply put, a 120-hr work week is reflective of an ineffective leadership style, at least for a company of this size, stage, and complexity. Elon, I admire you greatly, but you're no longer leading a venture-backed startup. You're leading a large, multi-faceted, public company. Perhaps it's time to recompose the leadership team, as well as your role on that team.
8
What i find interesting about Mr. Musk and his tweet storm is that normally a crime is committed because some fat cats found out about the information before the public. So someone had time to react and make money before others. But in this case; Musk told everyone at the same time. So how could he have run afoul. I find it all rather cute myself. He managed to put a hurt on the short types. Good job. If a great man of great companies can be muzzled in such a way; our country is far more corrupt at the govt level; than anyone could have imagined.
2
The issue of whether Tweets constitute legit communications is still up in the air. At the very least, those not on Twitter we’re unable to avail themselves of the info in a timely manner.
1
As a rule, CEOs should stay off Twitter and never talk to the NYT (press). What a mess. It is rarely in anyone's best interest to ever talk to the press.
3
Musk has no business running a public traded corporation. If his talent is in marketing, vision, strategic planning, assign him to those areas.
But keep him away from the corner office.
5
Elon, Elon, Elon. Sorry you’re overworked. I really am. I admire what you are doing even if I can’t afford one of your cars. I’m thinking of getting one of your solar roofs. But to be honest you’re the victim of a modern disease that even affects Trump: you Twitter before you think. If I were you I would delete all the apps that let you post something instantly. Your work is too important.
6
I feel just terrible for Mr. Musk.
1
If the President asks the same question, i'm sure a number of people would raise their hands...
Does he have the means to eat well and actually sleep comfortably at night? If so he is doing better than at least a billion people on this planet.
I'll reserve my empathy for those whose suffering is a bit more profound.
11
With this article, Elon seems to be doing more to sink Tesla's stock price than all big bad those shorter sellers put together.
4
Poor little rich boy. Sorry, but sympathy is not one of the things that the rest of the US and Canada will feel for Elon.
Just be quiet, make your car and the consumers will decide if you will be a success.
4
Is your next feature going to be story of the hardship faced by his workers? It wouldn't be hard to find someone. You could look at the Tesla plant, or SpaceEx. He's a terrible boss.
Really though, I find this offensive. Some PR person told him to do the to humanize himself. The rich easily get a platform to show their many dimensions, their humanness. No one doubted that you were a human with feelings and ambitions. Its about how your treat people. And you don't treat them well.
9
Some of us perform best under stress. But it is addictive. And the ego loves to dance across the stage in these "drama emperor" performances ...and the ego knows no limit, it is by its very nature unresponsive to reality (because it affirms the ego's reality against outside reality). So Mr. Musk needs to detach from...Mr. Musk. But wait; I have huge sympathy for this man becasue he has dared to tackle four huge problems: the electric car, the reusable spaceship, the battery and high-speed transportation at near ground level. To do this he burns through capital. This makes him vulnerable to people who do not produce anything at all but speculate around the value of other people's work, people who should by rights not be allowed to pperate (they are a distortion of capitalism). And taking Tesla private puts Mr.Musk beyond the damage these people can do. The Tesla board should take into account these basic facts before becoming sidetracked by Mr. Musk's procedural mistake, which he should acknowledge; and end that affair. And for their part the Saudi's will, I hope, allow Elon Musk the time and the capital required to make his work come to maturity and fruition. The world will respect them if they do. Money that helps humanity, that's the money the world needs.
10
Underneath all of the posturing is a man in the midst of a serious nervous breakdown. Rather than his “people” , and even this paper, glorifying his true pain as another accomplishment, someone must speak to him as a man who is in a very vulnerable and even dangerous place. I hope that he gets professional intervention and caring for his mental and emotional illness.
7
Elon Musk's net worth has risen to $24.6 billion as of last Monday. I think it's okay to call out a member of the elite 1% when he hurls "pedo-guy" via Twitter at a Thai rescue worker. We also don't want to hear him whining to the New York Times about how he works all the time and spent his birthday alone. Most of us work all the time at multiple jobs just to earn a fraction of what he earns in a month. We've sacrificed our own health and relationships, too. We expect better behavior from billionaires --Musk has the financial resources to fix whatever ails him; most of us don't. If he's expecting compassion from the 99% he probably won't find it.
18
Honestly, I don't know very much about Mr. Musk, but when I read this article I sense a fellow human being is really in need of help. Take time off, be with your family, get away, be in simple nature & stay away from the drugs..ask for help. Life is precious..love is all.
4
I’m quite blown away seeing the heartless comments on this forum. I get it, that we the middle class dont need to feel sorry for the super rich. But he didn’t become super rich just by chance, he got there by working his soul off and continues to do so. I get that we are bitter with how our salaries haven’t grown for more than a decade but that doesn’t mean we lose compassion for someone that is hurting.
I understand that yes most of us work overtime and over two or sometimes three jobs to make ends meet so he is nothing special, right? Right? Actually not only is he working insane hours but he is trying to change our paradigms and our future in spite of being so brutally scrutinized multiple times each day by the press that none of us workers and entrepreneurs have had the misfortune of dealing with that during our work life.
With the amount of negative media attention he gets every day can wear a person out. I agree that he needs to stop stretching himself thin and start delegating and stay off drugs and this cancer called twitter. But let me remind all of your armchair laptop warriors on this comment section - what he is trying to pull off is way beyond monumental and against such staggering odds it makes ones head spin. Other auto markers are still scratching their heads how to get anywhere a fraction as close as Tesla in terms of EV sales and infrastructure.
Give him a break and cut him some slack for crying out loud. He’s not perfect but neither are we!
10
Don't work for him or have first hand knowledge as to how he runs is businesses, but this is the price paid of a sole proprietorship without delegation of authority. It is also, to some extent the result of a super ego -- no one but me has any idea of "whatever"
3
If Elon Musk were working on projects more beneficial to mankind (such as invenitng a light bulb or the telephone or telegraph) rather than on a very personal ambition to build a spectacular car, I would have some empathy for him. But these days, nobody needs more cars, not even "great" ones. Why, for example, couldn't Mr. Musk put his "genius" and energy into creating something that would help reduce the amount carbon-dioxide in the earth's atmosphere? (Pumping massive amounts of carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere is a major cause - if not the sole cause - of global warming.) Mr. Musk strikes me as a victim of an undisciplined obssessive personality.
3
Hire Mary Barra. Isn’t she the auto ‘superstar’?
What does he want? a medal? All great entrepreneurs had massive setbacks but soldiered on until they succeeded. I never heard Jeff Bezos crying his eyes out. He just got on with it and became a success. I suspect this article is a marketing rehabilitation piece on behalf on Musk.
7
Elon is hypomanic, just like Hamilton. Fits of incredible work with no pause, and incredible creative insights. Then direct expressions to the naysayers. Hamilton had Washington to manage him, Elon needs an Eric Schmidt.
3
Elon Musk is brilliant, highly driven individual with a true vision for the future. I only hope he can take time to breath in the present.
5
Mr Musk is a darling of the left and has been for a long while. He even got bailed out by his pal Obama, receives constant praise from the liberal press and his super expensive cars are a status symbols that screams ‘I am a liberal who believes in global warming’.
All this has given him the liberty to run a car company that is valued at so much more than the Big 3, while producing a fraction of the cars they do. And this is ok, because he’s a darling of the left he has been beyond criticism.
He has blown every chance to bring his company up to speed, he was required to have his Series 3 cars rolling at a certain level long ago, and this is not happening.
Instead he is spending all that liberal money and government bail out in conquering Mars.
Now that his pal is out of office, he is finally feeling the heat from the government asking where is their money going.
Meantime he still produces so so cars, that are super expensive and are ‘green’ on the surface. His electric cars require constant recharging, which is done at charging stations, subsidized by you and me out of taxes, powered by electricity supplied by coal burning plants. Face it, you paid 100k for a car powered by a coal plant that you despise so much.
Time to put up, or move aside.
4
Hang in there, champ!
6
I have two thoughts on this:
1) As CEO of a major tech company, SpaceX, and (formerly) PayPal, Musk know that the SEC has extremely strict rules about how information is disclosed to the public, it's accuracy, and it's purpose. So I have no sympathy for him in making such a ridiculous disclosure in such a ridiculous manner.
2) I'll trade my problems for Musk's any day. Oh cry me a river. This is so typical of the Trumpists of the world, who seem to think that they should experience no consequences for their poor decision making and irresponsibility.
4
Perhaps his lack of sleep and reliance on ambient have clouded his judgement. Clearly, he is not possessed of his "A" game of late.
I have something Mr. Musk DOES NOT HAVE. I have enough!
15
And he has something you never will: a concern for others and how his decisions might affect the overall good. A vision for the future and how it could be vastly better. But be smug, stay satisfied. You got yours. Congratulations.
1
I feel Mr. Musk's pain. A billionaire who just got a big tax cut, who travels in his private jet and his companies are subsidized by the American taxpayer either through tax incentives for his Tesla or through space business by governments around the world using American taxpayer funded launch facilities.
Dear NYT since inequality is the issue of our time why don't you run the same article about the single mother who also works 120 hrs with no break in sight. Let's find out out about her "excruciating personal toll".
41
This comes as no surprise. He was trying to do too much and when that happens there is a break down. Many people have experienced this. We get a little or a lot... too manic. He needs to let go for awhile and possibly get on medication; then come to terms with the that fact that he is only human.
3
Had Mr. Musk not touted and overpromised on delivery of his new Model 3, he would not now be stressed out about and fighting investors and shorters.
Let’s not forget that the Model 3 was supposed to be the “affordable” Tesla at about $35k. Instead, Musk decided to offer only optioned up versions at $60k plus in order to recoup development and operating costs first - and then deliver them late to boot. He’s now at war with Tesla stock shorters and possibly the SEC for suggesting that he is going to take the company private, which affects the stock price and stinks of insider trading.
Mr. Musk has no one to blame but himself. He’s fighting the whole world, it seems - all but his fanboys. Sounds to me like someone else I know...
6
Texting while driving is dangerous and illegal in most places. Even for geniuses. He could have killed someone while writing that text.
It is clear that Musk needs to build an organization that can build his cars. It is too big a job for one person -- as Musk is learning. Taking on too much causes disasters both personal and organizational. Musk must learn that he is human and has limitations and soon before he really does kill someone.
9
Don't go all Howard Hughes on us, Elon. It didn't end well for him.
3
“I don’t really have to work since I made so much money from PayPal, but it feels so good to have strangers inflate my ego to the point where I go insane.”
Cool.
5
Nice attempt at his trying to garner lots of sympathetic PR, but in my view it is simply not possible to feel any for him at this juncture.
This unpleasant state of affairs, and his clearly fragile mental health, is due to his actions entirely - not Fate, other people, or whatever.
Him alone.
7
The promise of technology was that it would free up our time. We were promised a world where we controlled technology for the benefit of mankind, We were delivered quite the opposite. It helped corporations toss whole segments of the population from gainful employment, while heaping more pressure on those left behind. We are expected to be on call 24/7, iphones near our pillows. Musk is discovering that for all his money and power, he cannot escape the limitations of being human. Maybe he can use his newly found enlightenment for some positive change beyond his own issues.
4
Companies go up and down, as do their stock, but Mr. Musk is solid gold and he's getting the education of his life, we all do as we try to reach our goals, he's talking about his experience, it's very healthy IMO. Thanks for sharing your story, we look forward to hearing and seeing more. It's good for everyone to see (assuming a modicum of objectivity) that even if your a super genius and have lots of money, life is still a struggle.
4
While I admire Musk, it was painful to read about his self pity. He has placed himself into the circumstances he cries about. He has unlimited options.
I recommend that he consider those who are caring for terminally ill or disabled family members who are truly working 24/7 under unbearable pressure with extremely limited resources. Perhaps he could re-frame his his situation by saying, "How lucky I am to be dealing with these unique challenges which I have chosen to pursue."
16
The best thing I've read since Sheryl Sanberg lectured on 'resilience'.
3
This young man has been working too hard. He is in a position of over-responsibility and he is at the breaking point.
I hope his board of directors and some trusted subordinates can help him to delegate projects and responsibilities to others. He needs a lot of time off, for his mental well being and his family life.
It wouldn't be a bad idea for Elon to disappear for a while and allow himself to loaf and invite his soul. Sleep!.
2
This seems like an orchestrated effort by the Tesla board and Mr. Musk to put the toothpaste back into the tube after his ill-considered Tweet about taking Tesla private. And all the details about Mr. Musk’s deteriorating health, use of Ambien, etc. are meant to elicit sympathy for him. All of this is cynical spin at its worst.
7
"Mr Musk, who has a net worth of $21B, would like to take this opportunity to whine about how hard it is being worth more than the GDP of Afghanistan because he 'almost' missed his brother's wedding."
LOL, okay. Let me know when you have to skip your grandfather's funeral because you can't afford to take time off work.
9
Be nice, people. The last thing we need is another suicide of a celebrity or high-profile person.
1
So little compassion for another human being here in the comments. The nastiness here helps me understand why Trump got into office. The Ugly American rears it’s head again.
7
Corrected Headline: Elon Musk Details ‘Excruciating’ Personal Toll of Self-Inflicted Tesla Turmoil
5
It's possible that Musk is both a genius and a lousy manager. As a family friend is wont to say: Don't call yourself a manger if you can't manage a vacation.
16
Sounds like a control-obsessed management style.
The ones that survive know how to find people they can trust, delegate responsibility, carefully pick their battles, and exercise discipline with all of that.
Apparently not this kid.
10
Musk is bedeviled by genius coupled with limitless imagination and ambition. He's facing the limits of his humanity however far reaching they are to us.
4
It's time for Gwynne Shotwell (COO of SpaceX) to become COO of Tesla.
1
Amidst all the darkness here, I laughed heartily upon learning the name of a rocket company's chief operating officer.
https://www.forbes.com/profile/gwynne-shotwell/#51a6cddb2b96
1
Oh, you poor poor con man! Get thee to Mars with haste - we will do very well without your rescue submarines, your passenger-carrying missiles hurtling through the underground, your entirely unnecessary space tourism, and your equally unnecessary self-driving autos powered by AI hype. Your shtick is becoming stale, and fast. A smart man would have focused laser-like on solar panels, batteries, and electric cars. But you had to ruin all that and go all-Wells-Verne on those who wished you success on the ground, not under it and not over it.
8
As if all of this wasn't sad enough, a car-jacking astronaut stole his Tesla Roadster too. Poor guy.
2
Overwork can kill. In Japan this has become
a problem, called karoshi. Japanese work
100 hours a week and dying. Mr. Musk will do himself a favor by hiring a no.2, take a vacation, leaving his phone behind.He needs to re-energize and forget the short sellers. Stock manipulation
is their job and Musk's job is to innnovate
and make high quality product. Good luck!
8
Elon Musk will deliver
Moments ago, as Trump was leaving the White House he quoted Pepsi’s outgoing CEO Indra Nooyi, as suggesting that companies would benefit from an SEC financial reporting change to twice a year from the current quarterly schedule. That makes a lot of sense given that companies have to worry more about dividend payments and “shareholder activism” personal concern for the quick buck, rather than its longevity, innovation and the economy’s future. Initially, Amazon had many hiccups but shareholders who stayed for the long haul have done incredibly well.
Greed-based demands stifle innovation which requires more than a quarter to show results. That certainly is the case with Elon Musk who’s under the gun to meet Wall Street expectations. Few CEOs are dreaming life-changing innovations that will benefit humanity: revolutionary electric batteries will positively impact the environment, for instance (solar tech is embryonic still) ; ditto the space program. Given Wall Street’s irrational exuberance for the quick dividend, Mr. Musk musings to take Tesla private sound rational - in practical terms, there will be much to consider and do.
Shareholder activism impact on economic growth has been dismal. Chopping-up and dismantling companies for a quick buck is how so-called Wall Street innovators facilitated the transfer of manufacturing to China - which is set to corner the electric car market, if we let them
2
The behavior of Elon Musk and Donald Trump are examples of what happens when you don't get enough sleep.
6
They're also both narcissists.
3
Just like Elon in this lede, I am struggling to maintain my composure. I work in Skid Row, a community that is full of vitality yet also persists as an epicenter of human misery in America.
He is worth more money than any family can conceivably spend in 5 lifetimes. Am I supposed to feel bad for a billionaire who could singlehandedly house, feed and clothe all 50,000 homeless people in LA County, yet pursues ego projects that will only make him more money instead?
18
Agree!
There will be no NYT article about the single mom working three jobs to support her kids.
How many hours did she work last week? Does she have the luxury of taking a private jet in between her work shifts to attend a family wedding?
Her grievances will never be heard because she is poor. She is never be placed on a media pedestal like Elon. Unless people believed she could solve all of the world’s ills and take them to Mars. Then maybe someone will care about her challenges enough to print.
Hope you get well Mr. Musk. Remember others suffer as well. You’re not that special.
4
Welcome to the real world. I would tell you what you need. A VACATION.
5
Had Musk's one-line tweet been 100% accurate, it would have meant the disruption of the lives of every employee of Tesla motors -- primarily the line workers -- and their families.
I don't suggest that Musk is ignorant of the effects of his actions on the people who work for him. But he broadcast a major change to the ownership and financial structure of a multi-billion dollar business, as if it were a piece of personal property.
Self-made billionaires seem to behave that way towards the businesses "they" built; it's "theirs". From that perspective, employees aren't individual persons with individual lives -- but just a part of what the billionaire owns.
4
I'm in camp Elon. We all should be in camp Elon.
3
Surely I'm not the only one who's noticed the stupefying level of irony here: Elon Musk -- founder of the world's most visionary manufacturer of emissions-free vehicles and solar-powered batteries, all designed to collectively lead the way in freeing the world from its reliance on fossil fuels -- wants to sell Tesla to the Saudis. For little obvious reason other than Musk's wholly irrational fear of short-sellers. Aside from Exxon, I can't even conceive of a worse potential buyer for the company.
As for why, Musk may be one of the most visionary corporate leaders of the modern era, but he's plainly fallen into a trap that CEOs with broader levels of experience and wisdom know to avoid: listening to the naysayers -- in this case the schadenfreude-filled short-sellers hoping to see Tesla go down in flames -- instead of wholly tuning them out to focus on the job at hand. Obsessing over such matters is almost invariably a recipe for failure.
In this particular case, however, I have to ask: has Musk has even considered the possibility that the entity with the biggest motives for taking down Tesla may very well be its current suitor?
7
@Jeff. Elon Musk has long demonstrated to be a smart, clear thinker, and above all innovator. With his declarations, Elon Musk is engaging the country in a debate on the benefits/ pitfalls of the Trumpian / Kushnerian notion of the quick buck no matter how vs. support for innovation and long-term investment.
1
Does he think he is the only person that works hard and has numerous employees. We should feel sorry for him????
If you're a CEO-then act like one and be responsible for your actions. Twitting is a childish way to communicate and as you can see he is going to be called out for it. If he wants to take Tesla private then just do it-but do it right. The real truth is he has over extended himself and is burning through cash. Frankly, he might be working hard but not working effectively. He has fired or people have left who were very important in the running of Tesla. My wife and I were thinking about purchasing a Tesla-but I have great reservations as to whether Tesla can survive with Musk in charge. Will wait.
8
Well that is a good first step, admitting you have a problem. Need to learn from Steve Jobs's mistake. Cook seems to balance things well enough unfortunately Apple has really no breakthrough product since Jobs.
I have little sympathy for very rich people complaining about the hours they work. They really need to talk to their boss about a vacation, or talk to themselves about the choices they make.
8
Elon! Take care of yourself please.
2
I live in Silicon Valley and see this kind of thing all the time, albeit on a smaller scale. Overwork and burnout is endemic here.
Maybe Musk is only a symptom of the problem. Maybe the problem is 1) the American love of profits over pretty much everything else, and 2) tiresome status-seeking that drives a lot of executives --- who are mostly men --- to work too much as a strange way of making personal merit.
Maybe it's time to slow down a bit. People might actually get more done that way, because you make fewer bad decisions when you're well-rested, alert, and not coming down off whatever drug you took the night before to help you sleep or help you forget.
11
So sue him! Whatever it takes him from here on, Musk's wild ride through life is already one for the ages.
4
Appallingly, not a single mention of the two deaths his cars have contributed to due to Tesla "auto-pilot" failures in two separate incidents. If it was my own design involved, I'd be losing sleep over it too, but apparently for Elon, it's not these two lives he's losing sleep over, it's money.
6
I own a two year old Tesla. Never in the shop. Awesome vehicle, so glad my husband insisted on getting it when I wanted a Suburu. Here's the thing one learns almost immediately about self driving. You are instructed by the car to drive with two hands on the wheel and to be ready to take over completely at any moment. It pops out of auto drive, which is really driving assist, all the time. I feel for their families, but the deceased were not using the car correctly. I love my car. Everyone who owns one loves it. Elon has delegation and megalomania issues but his car is a game changer. I hope some patriot will step forward to help take the company private. The Saudis should not own it and their Prince seems as unstable as our would be monarch.
4
@Architect
Ridiculous - the people who died grossly misused the product. There's no question. Go take any 5,000lb piece of machinery and misuse it, lives will be lost.
I own an S, and drive on Autopilot. There is no problem with this product, it is clearly stated as to what it's functions are and what your responsibility is.
This is probably lost on people who don't own Teslas.
This, here, is truly a sad reflection of today's world. It's all about the meta and not the real. Elon Musk and his team is trying to further their altruistic mission. A sane world would cheer them on. Instead what we have is profit taking from the vagaries of invention and enterprise. Shorts, analysts, journalists have made this a spectacle so that they can profit. Who cares about the mission? If Tesla were private none of this would happen (compare with Spacex and Boring Company that's private). I hope Elon and team successfully takes Tesla private soon.
4
I think Elon Musk is doing great things, moving mountains. I'm guessing that someone who basically invented the electric car industry as we know it today, added a battery factory to support that, reinvented the cost of rocketry such that it became a new business, probably thought, "what's the big deal in mass producing automobiles"? After all, it's a well proven technology, maybe even a century old technology. As someone who was part of an industry that mass produced complex electromechanical consumer products, I can tell you that it is the easiest challenge to underestimate. For most design engineers, the challenge is getting the product right. Once that's been done, the manufacturing part is the "easy part". Musk is not the first person to fall into that trap. That he did not at the start - and still has not - hired an experienced high volume complex product person to run his factory tells a lot about the man, who otherwise has made contributions that the rest of us never even dreamed about.
2
Beware the Jabberwock; The naysayers are abundant especially those who owns stock in Tesla. I would like to see if there’s any other person than the original mr. Tesla himself that has had been more manic and had such an impact on MULTI industries.
The Tesla does not reduce greenhouse gases.
First, it needs to be charged. So far, most electricity comes from fossil fueled generating facilities. Moreover, it's normally charged at night -- so, not from solar power. Wind power doesn't come close to meeting the need.
Second, creating its huge batteries uses an enormous amount of power, and the creation process itself generates greenhouse gases. No, that is not a one-time cost. They don't last forever. My antique -- state of the art, when I bought it in 2000 -- flip-top phone has the same type of battery, and has had to have new batteries installed, now, twice in under two decades.
The idea that electric cars will save the planet is a fiction. Teslas assuage the guilt its 1% owners feel from the harm they do to the environment with their extravagant life styles. It doesn't take that many cross-country or international flights for their portion of the CO2 so emitted to negate any savings their use of "non-polluting" Teslas achieve.
And they know that.
Musk has been selling a fiction. One only the financially elite can afford.
It is an indulgence.
(Personal note: PhD, EE, Purdue. Member of -- and published in -- the IEEE, ACM, for over half a century.)
11
And I wholeheartedly agree with you; I’m just glad I won’t be here when the place gets really hot and out of control, thermal cycling and I’ll kinds of a cataclysmic events start to happen… Oh wait, I think I feel a small scaled preview right now.... or is it just a couple degrees (celsius) hotter?
2
@Texas Liberal
You are correct that there are emissions from the source of power for EVs. But there is nonetheless a decrease of ~50% depending on the source of the power.
https://www.afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.php
Even with a natural gas source for the electricity, there is a significant cut: gasoline engines are not efficient and regenerative braking saves a lot of power. Select California on the previous web site with a large amount of natural gas and hydro: there is a 2/3 drop. I'll be happy with the 50% cut for now
2
More pain to come i suppose with all the SEC investigations into his tweets and forward leaning projections?
Maybe if he hadn't misled I-Banks and analysts on a path to leading his company to a valuation that is likely 10x what it is truly worth, then he could get a lot more sleep?
His problems are not about the products his company makes - they are truly astounding. His problems are about the alleged market manipulation he indulges in constantly to hype up the valuation of his company and consequently his stake in it.
This pain is self inflicted and somewhat, if not thoroughly, deserving. America is chock full of innovators and company public company CEOs who lead their teams to churn out large volumes of astounding products. The do this without a fraction as much publicity as what Musk seems to want.
7
Great Actor he should move to Hollywood
11
He can well afford the tiniest violin in the world, to play "My Heart Bleeds For You."
9
Of course he has driven himself to madness and exhaustion. He was arrogant enough to think he could do what teams of managers do for other other auto companies-- his arrogance and ignorance led him to call them dinosaurs and believe that it would be easy to beat them at their own game. Turns out, making cars, mass production-- it ain't bean bag.
11
You have a CEO sleeping under his desk and unable to attract and retain top talent. Who is sitting on his board? I don't know, but I wonder if they have any experience beyond startup financing and phone apps.
6
It would be very helpful for NYT to write and in-depth story about the efforts to profit from the destruction of Tesla. Who is involved and how do they go about guiding opinion. Even the article above repeatedly uses un-cited sources to spin how we are to think about Elon's comments.
4
Cracking up is frequently a good thing. This sounds like a man in deep pain but also in deep self reflection. No, Elon it is NOT all about the money and the power. Now it is up to you to figure out what it IS all about. My heart and prayers go out to you.
4
Preparing to sell the company and walk away??
1
The heartbreak of being a young, white, self-absorbed billionaire. Talk to me when Tesla makes a truly clean car that's affordable and turns a profit year after year.....until then he's just a lot of sound and fury that signifies.......
16
Who knew the tough guy was this emotional!
1
Can he call John DeLorean. (RIP) The similarities are .... well not striking but lessons can be learned.
4
Musk lied to hurt the short sellers. That's a crime. He needs to pay the price for that and his disgusting insult aimed at the British cave diver.
And please, another soft mea culpa that involves blaming Ambien. Give me a break. To blame is the child billionaire and his total lack of E.Q. and maturity.
13
Elon: take a vacation or your health will suffer, and along with it your family, your businesses, everything. you will be no good collapsed in a heap. think of it like this: the battery needs to be recharged.
3
Let all shareholders send boxes of Kleenex to Musk, in case his ten billion dollar fortune has to be squandered mopping up those sudden tears.
1
Just what the country needs: another narcissist/stable genius. His followers continue to drink the koolaid.
10
Elon Musk was bullied during his childhood. His actions during that interview demonstrates his beta male behavior. He needs to step down and learn how to delegate leaders to run the business side of his company. He should work as a scientific advisor to the company. Just my two cents.
2
Woe is me! Who would have known that life being a SV billionaire is just so tough!
3
Dear Elon : Get rid of the Ambien and learn to pry yourself away from the job for some rest. You are intelligent.. now please learn this lesson fast, if not for your company, then
for yourself and family. Rest your mind regularly and you will mentally experience less stress. After having been prescribed Ambien years ago (by the V.A.), in my humble opinion the side effects are worse than a company inside-trader(/traitor). I once worked a position which 'situationally-forced' me to be present between 18 and 20 hours a day. No one wins when forced to function beyond the mental-fatigue point.
Please help find a #2 and a backup (#3) who can help maintain production while you sleep, see family, etc. I believe in what you are doing. I believe that electric cars as well as gasoline (& clean-running-diesel) powered cars both have a place in out society at this time of transition and increased awareness. I have watched your space-x for years and if life were different for me, would have loved to work in your company. Keep a good thing going by refreshing yourself regularly. If you are integral to this success, then you have to be top-notch in order to climb higher. There will always be those who seek and try to depose you. Control your own frame of reference by removing those would collapse your decision making capabilities through various machinations (including fatigue).
3
Really tired of cults of personality. There are millions who work hard and haven't had a vacation who are far more deserving of my sympathy.
17
His psyche is as unbalanced as his books. When you lose $15k to $20k per car, it has to crash. A flim flam man to the end.
4
Musk's morning mantra should be the opening of a Procol Harum song: "wallowing in a morass of self despair made only more painful that all I am is of my own making..."
The Greeks had a word for this sort of thing, hubris.
4
I have no pity for him. He needs to apologize.
3
It's laughable to see middle class Americans whine about how much they hate socialism and redistribution, but all of you so quickly lose even basic humanity and empathy the minute someone more successful than you tries to claim any personal pain. If Elon Musk made 47k a year, the comments would be an outpouring of support for an overworked hero. You obviously want him down on your level. You obviously want to be on his level. What you want is economic redistribution. What you want is socialism.
1
I was fortunate enough to work for Elon at his first startup, Zip2. He was always more driven and dedicated to his work than anyone I have ever met. He would regularly sleep under his desk at the small office on California Ave. in order to be up and coding late into the night and first thing when he woke. It's hard for most people to imagine how hard this guy drives himself. Sounds like his work ethic has not changed, but the stakes have risen much higher. Wish I had 1/10 of his drive.
8
Not only do I have zero sympathy for Musk...I *blame him* for setting implementation of Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) back 10 years. Thank god Toyota ignored him and is aggressively moving forward on FCVs. His short-sightedness and arrogance resulted in EVs being pitted against FCVs, a la VHS v. Betamax, rather than working together. A Tesla battery continuously creating H2 in situ would have revolutionized personal and commercial transportation and eliminated the need for fuel distribution *at all*.
6
Please explain how H2 generated "in-situ" can eliminate fuel transport.
The medics have an acronym: HALT. It means do not make major decisions when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. All his outbursts sound like the product of a soul in need of rest and reflection, if not medical care. This is when his board should earn its money, if they have to find three people to take over while Mr. Musk gets what he needs to refresh himself. The kindest person can snap when as exhausted as he is.
9
Poor fellow. By the way, the notion of creating colonies on Mars so that humanity can escape having made planet Earth uninhabitable for humans is the worst idea in human history. Musk and the other billionaires should devote their fortunes to cleaning up nuclear waste.
7
I thought that it would be clear by now that a leader of any institution abusing Twitter is a terrible idea.
Some people really never learn.
6
I'm not saying this is a coordinated sympathy piece between Musk and the Times, but it sure sounds like one. Musk has been heavily criticized for his unhinged tweets lately, and even his own board of directors at Tesla was talking about removing him or appointing a 'co-CEO'. Maybe this piece is genuine, but in this day and age, color me skeptical.
6
Let's see. Working 120 hours a week is tough, that's for sure, and nearly impossible without drugs. I've worked ~100 hours a week a few times, most notably during the final stretch of my dissertation work. Even now, at my academic research position, I'll find myself working around up to 80 hours a week.
Funny thing though, despite making a mere five figure salary I don't whine about how much I work, because I CHOSE THIS JOB. You know, just like Musk chose his? It's bizarre, to say the least, to ask for sympathy for something you freely elected to do and choose to continue doing.
6
Elon Musk needs to eliminate any paths that an adversary could use to harm or sink TESLA. He has proven that the electric car can be vastly superior to any of the fossil fuel powered vehicles on the planet, (and with time electric vehicles are only going to get better). There are those with vast resources who seek to destroy the electric car. Koch brothers, I am looking at you. Elon Musk has made the electric car what people want and what humanity needs.
1
What's with the pity party? A multi-billionaire with multiple homes, dating a music star ... poor poor Elon. While he might be a tech visionary, it doesn't seem like he knows how to run a company very well.
6
Tesla is a scam, period. I'm working in the Silicon Valley, this is an open secret here. They used to have some comparative advantages (especially with the 3-Phase 4-Pole AC Induction Motor which was NOT a choice of Elon Musk... who has NOT funded Tesla by the way).
Now this is just a huge money-loosing machine and all the best engineers and researchers are fleeing rightfully. Musk is more and more authoritarian. I don't even speak about the "pedo" episode or the constant lies or overstatements.
10
Fluff piece on the PT Barnum of our time. Hype and over promising and burning through cash at record rate. It is astounding that so many have invested huge sums on this guy's various ventures. Musk clearly going off the rails... and while we're at it-- he's committed securities fraud. Is there any accountability in public markets or is the system so corrupted in favor of the .1 percenters that he will get off with a small fine or warning? Stay tuned. But I believe Tesla will end up in the trash heap... DeLorean anyone?
8
Musk spent his life spreading anti-oil company conspiracies and playing to political progressives. Then, when it suited him, he jumped in Donald Trump's lap, defended Trump, and claimed to have done a deal with the Evil Empire of the Oil Industry.
Zero integrity.
He's probably working his White House contacts right now in an attempt to get out of trouble with the SEC. What will he trade for that?
The "no name'" independent directors must fire him immediately. If they don't, they will probably be sued for violating their duties to the shareholders.
8
Some Gilded Age. Can you imagine Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and the other moguls of the first Gilded Age whining about how hard their gilded lives were?
8
Tesla short-sellers seem to be conducting an operation against the company, with frequent critical reports from employees, negative media feeds, (bots?) etc. James Chanos has a Deutche Bank background and Steve Eisman's history of actively supporting of his positions is famous. David Einhorn's fund is under stress with large losses. Is there an international angle here since Musk is also delivering for U.S. national security-related projects?
1
he tweeted a falsehood that pushed his stock price higher. when called out on it, he asks for sympathy. really?
19
Sure, all humans are human, but some are more capable of generating empathy than others. Right now my thinking on uber wealthy people is that they need to donate their money to just causes and quit whining
5
Unfortunately for Tesla owners and especially Tesla investors, there is nothing so unique about these autos as to hinder market entrry buy other manufacturers with more scale, deeper pockets, better distribution networks and more emotionally stable leadership. Watch out!
4
Creative genius, yes. Manufacturing expert, no. Driven off all the smart people who were manufacturing experts, yes.
I agree with the other comments that he needs a COO.
Unfortunately, taking no salary and borrowing against his stock for lifestyle has more to do with his anxiety around stock price.
The question is not can the stock stay above the convertible note conversion price but can it stay above the level that the banks won't start selling his stock to cover their loans--over $600 million pledged with 13 million shares. To me, that is the precariousness that would put a person on Ambien...
3
The lack of empathy and cruelty on display by many commentators is a tragic indication of the decline of civilized behavior.
Elon Musk is trying to do good in the world.
https://www.tesla.com/about
"Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Tesla was founded in 2003 by a group of engineers who wanted to prove that people didn’t need to compromise to drive electric – that electric vehicles can be better, quicker and more fun to drive than gasoline cars. Today, Tesla builds not only all-electric vehicles but also infinitely scalable clean energy generation and storage products. Tesla believes the faster the world stops relying on fossil fuels and moves towards a zero-emission future, the better..."
4
Elon Musk needs a management team that operates 24/7...three shifts, five days a week, and two shifts Saturday and Sunday.
He needs a chief assistant, a media manager, an engineering team of two, and a personal affairs assistant. At least this much per shift and maybe more. People should not be ridden to exhaustion.
With support like this, Elon could back off to twelve-hour days, six days a week. With support like this, Elon can continue his amazing journey to the stars and beyond.
3
The naysayers here should consider the magnitude of what Mr. Musk has achieved. Musk's Tesla created and popularized a previously moribund industry--electric cars--where all the major auto manufacturers had instead dragged their feet for decades. That's not only innovative, but could also save the planet.
When GM failed, the U.S. Government bailed it out. Now GM continues to build large, planet-killing trucks. Are our policies so flawed that we can't cut the man who could save the world some slack?
Mr. Musk may have lined up funding he didn't know about. I'd bet there are a million of us who would happily contribute $420 to help Musk raise that $420 million.
3
@FR Ummm, the bill is $10 billion, which would mean 23.8 million investors at $420.
But all that math aside, what you are proposing is having a very large segment of the public investing their excess capital into Tesla, and you might be happily surprised to find out that is exactly what is in place right now: Tesla is a publicly traded corporation owned by shareholders, and the news in all of this is that Musk wants to do the opposite of what you are suggesting, and jettison all the public investors and go pick one or a few big investors, such as a wealthy Saudi Arabian.
2
@Chris
Although you're right that my figures were off, it's something of a distinction without a difference. The U.S. pumped $80 billion into attempting to keep GM, GMAC, and Chrysler afloat. What has it done to encourage Tesla?
Whether Tesla stays public or goes private through a host or handful of investors, the point stands: the U.S. government should support one of the most innovative inventor/entrepreneurs this country has seen in decades.
"In an hourlong interview with The New York Times, he choked up multiple times, noting that he nearly missed his brother’s wedding this summer and spent his birthday holed up in Tesla’s offices as the company raced to meet elusive production targets on a crucial new model."
As a white collar professional, I can honestly say that this is not that bad. I have personally suffered through worse. The fact that he blames these relatively minor deprivations for his missteps speaks volumes about his character.
8
To the people who think Mr. Musk is so great:
There were so many more hardworking industrialists throughout the last few hundred years, however, many of them were not flamboyant megalomaniacs who could not effectively work with others and delegate authority.
These hardworking, brilliant leaders of the past brought us everything we have in life today. Right now, there are many other professionals working on space rockets and self-driving electric cars, solar power and batteries, but they're working like adults who know how to work with others, and they're not crying about it.
And, to those who think it's amazing that Musk has multiple projects going on at once: Have you not heard of all the multinational conglomerate corporations that do so much more by orders of magnitude? Musk is a mini conglomerate unto himself and he's needs to go back to the drawing board where he can come up with ideas and let the professionals run the businesses.
Flamboyance is not equivalent with greatness, and the history of industrialization bears this out.
5
Have some sympathy people. He may have billions, but he is still flawed and vulnerable. In other words, human. Celebrate his potential and accomplishments and let him learn from his mistakes on his own.
4
Musk needs this lecture on sympathy, not us.
2
There is a four letter social media abbreviation for what the majority of working class Americans want to say to Mr. Musk and he is deserving of it. Millions of Americans struggle, daily, at jobs that barely cover the cost of living and a good chunk of them have to hold down two jobs to make ends meet. Their level of education has little to do with their plight since those like Mr. Musk have done everything in their power to reduce costs by exploiting the average worker and cutting jobs.
Tesla has been overvalued for years and they've missed deadline after deadline on delivering the goods. In the opinion of this working class citizen, those like Mr. Musk never suffer as much as they should for all the pain they've heaped on the average worker.
5
Well... let's see... the guy works twice as many hours as I do a week, and makes at least 10,000 times more than I make... Am I supposed to feel sorry for him? It is funny, it was 2001 when I had my last vacation too. This was not because I could not delegate, but because someone else might be taking my place if I stayed too long away from my job in the non-profit companies I have worked in. Very small violins playing all over the place.
11
It seems like the source of Musk's stress is his failure to put in an effective team of people to start and manage production at Tesla. He seems to be more comfortable as the lone genius who makes every decision. The fault is not in his stars, but in his self.
5
The Board has a fiduciary duty to provide oversight of Mr. Musk's executive duties. This isn't optional, as Mr. Musk seems to think. The Board should have been briefed in advance on any potential going-private transaction. It's that simple.
It seems like Tesla could greatly benefit from having Mr. Musk step away from the reins for a while, much like Steve Jobs did before he came back to take Apple to new heights. Simply hiring a COO to share some responsibility is likely to only make things worse given Mr. Musk's manifest arrogance about his abilities. He needs to show profitability to grow his company and realize his vision. Perhaps he needs more time, but by all indications its less of a timing issue and more of a management issue.
2
How can it be suffering when he created the companies and decided what goals he wanted to meet? Maybe don't try and run three or four companies at the same time? Seems like he's saying, "Poor me. I wanted to fulfill every fantasy I've ever had but somehow couldn't do it." Yep.
3
Mr. Musk should concentrate really hard on finding a top shelf counterpart to take some of the load off and improve Tesla's efficiency. Since Tesla has been experiencing a myriad amount of production and quality issues while trying to ramp up to full production I'd strongly recommend that they try and steal someone away from the automotive industry.
That said I would love to be in Mr. Musk's shoes as I would immediately go after and do whatever it takes to pry Mark Stielow the Engineering Group Manager Vehicle Dynamics
away from General Motors. Mr. Steilow lives, eats and breaths cars, performance and excellence which includes actual hands on experience (gets his hands dirty) and testing (certified to drive at Nürburgring and he does it well). My people rate Mr. Steilow right up there with Lockheed's Skunk Works Kelly Johnson and Nikola Tesla with sheer talent and the ability to get the job done.
On the other hand if that fails to work out you could always try getting Flo "The Queen of Combustion" from Progressive Insurance :-)
He'd benefit from a meditation retreat. Honest reflection, silence, and a return to the ground beneath his feet. It would awaken clarity of thought and intention, as well as some healing.
3
Isn’t anyone who is considering buying a Tesla concerned that it may become a Saudi owned company?
We finally have an American made/created genius car produced by a “Disrupter”. This alone is a reason to spend more if you can afford it instead of contributing to someone else’s economy.
Mr. Musk: save your company and yourself.
Take some advice from a former Executive Search professional. There are always many qualified people for 2nd in command. And not the Usual Suspects.
2
I am not sure why we hold Musk accountable for tweets but not our President. Both tweet off the cuff, both seem known to talk with out worrying about facts to back up the talk. Any investor worth their salt should know that Musk is prone to hyperbole at the very least. Shorters more than most are savvy in the markets.
1
Hubris is its own reward. Mr Musk, you are a human being, and apparently intoxicated with the cognitive horsepower of your frontal lobes. Like it or not, you are a member of the species. I suggest you use your gift to help us salvage this planet. Do what you do best, and delegate the details. You are not your talents, nor are you your achievements, nor failures.
3
"A human's reach should exceed their grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Go Elon! I don't see Jeff Bezos killing himself while trying to make the world a better place.
1
Oh, please! Being rich famous and powerful - such hardships!
Elon, the stresses in your life are self- inflicted.
Trade jobs with your lowest-paid employee and try living exclusively on her (because she’s undoubtedly a woman) salary for a year.
Then you might start to get a real idea about what “stress” and “pain” actually mean.
8
Elon, is one of the most remarkable people in the world.
Sure, he’s human and makes mistakes. We all do.
3
Hey, man.... it's all on you! Horning in on the desperate situation with the Thai soccer boy rescue, then taunting rescuers? No wonder orders are being cancelled. Grow up, please - and reimburse all the workers who have been working overtime to fulfill your egotistical whims.
9
His struggle would be more meaningful if it wasn't about a billionaire trying to please his ego, solving problem he created himself.
8
We should have such deep empathy for a man whose own decisions of how to wrangle power from new found wealth have inconvenienced him.
3
Methinks he doth protest too much.
5
"If you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know." -Elon Musk
In a world filled with 7 billion people, this statement is the textbook definition hubris. Musk's pain is no justification for allowing such pride to continue unabated. He cannot use the media to make amends so he can keep up the dysfunction.
There are many effective CEO's who could run Telsa through professional delegation of authority to other extremely competent professionals. And these leaders would likely do what Musk can't, which is to keep it all together through the process of letting go, a paradox Musk does not comprehend.
The Board of Directors of the publicly traded company has a fiduciary responsibility immediately to begin the executive search. If they do not, there will be lawsuits.
We often think power and control are synonyms, but they're not. Lord Acton suggested absolute power corrupts humans, and it is helpful to see the gray area on a variable scale: as power increases, control over it decreases. With little power, control is easy, with absolute power, infinite control is needed.
Lacking sufficient control over power permits things to get out of hand: it’s really hard for a child to have the ability to control a walk-behind trencher or manage the power of a backhoe or muscle car, and it’s quite a struggle for even the elite among us to control the vast power of big multinational corporations, colonies and governments.
The short sellers struck a nerve with Musk...worrisome.
6
All of these insulting, resentful comments!
No, the factory workers don't work harder than Musk, that's absurd.
No, what he did, again and again, was not a product of luck.
And no, he probably doesn't need your business lessons. You, after all, have not done what he has.
He sets himself impossible goals, drives himself hard, and, in the end, achieves the miraculous.
8
A modern day Howard Hughes....just less interesting
4
When his "funding secured" tweet was quickly revealed to have been bogus I immediately thought this guy wants out because it was such a blatant violation of law. This interview confirms that suspicion. The first early sign of his burn out was his behavior during the analyst conferences. I kind of tossed that aside as something a prima donna would say. But the tweet shows a kind of death wish: Please put me out of my misery. His Board would comply if only they knew of anyone who could take the reigns. Sounds like Elon would welcome it. Tesla may survive all this but it's going to be a rocky road for investors. Any miracle workers available out there?
3
The greatest industrial genius of our time, possibly of all time. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to buy his products and own stock in his companies. Soon, you will only be able to do the former.
1
He spent his whole birthday alone? I literally laughed out loud at his pity party. Welcome to the world of older people whose family don't live nearby.
14
He has created jobs, created a series of new electric vehicles, the industry values him and looks to him to further The Argument and Innovations Towards Electric.
Yet the investment community is thrilled to see the up and down cycle of confidence/failure, and in fact games him and his factory as often as possible for a quick dollar—betting against him so they can snap up winnings. Yet they themselves have contributed a total of absolutely Zero Anything. They are legally taking advantage, and for that reason Musk wants them out from his business.
Tesla should continue, and will hopefully succeed and thrive. Snarky people seem to have a problem with an innovator carrying out their vision successfully, based on them not appearing repressed enough for their liking. Strange climate we're living in.
8
3 or 4 whole days in the plant, huh? Wow, what a tremendous sacrifice. How do you think this makes any of the auto workers feel? They're being paid $18/hr in the most expensive housing region in the country, being forced to work 10+ hour shifts 6 days a week to make what is starting to feel more like a madman's vanity project.
16
A good leader is supposed to be able to delegate. Doesn't Musk have people he trusts to carry on his orders without having to not sleep? Instead he acts like a paranoid micro-manager and the lack of sleep is making him mentally unhinged.
He should bring back his personal helper, which he fired because of his overconfidence about "not needing help" and stop complaining. All this is of his own doing and the article is an unnecessary pity party.
5
Hey Elon,
You accomplished so much in your professional life thus far, despite the naysayers who thought your goals were not possible.
Shame on you NYTimes readers who are so quick to throw stones at him. How many of you can claim the mantle of building an American car company, solar firm, not to mention a rocket company. I don't condone his ego or behavior, but, no one can imagine the weight of his responsibilities and obvious passions for his enterprises.
5
I’m reminded of a classic interview recently with marine Gen Jim Mattis, SecDef. When asked about the complexity and stress of his job he simply said “I don’t stress. I make others stress.” Take note Elon.
2
Mr Musk may or may not be crazy but he's a narcissist for sure.
He treats employees harshly, claims that all is well, and appears to make erratic moves.
Reminds me of someone....
5
This is another example, and quite a glaring one, giving his notoriety and ultra wealth, of crying "victimization".
He has chosen the frenzy of activities and businesses he started and runs. While most acknowledge his brilliance and skill sets, providing many jobs, complaining that he can't get competent others to step in is further testimony to his egocentric, driven self.
4
I seem to recall a quote from Musk a few years back about how he doesn't need as much sleep as other people because he is a special kind of person who thrives on constant hard work, or something to that effect.
Perhaps time to revisit your self-conception, Mr Musk. You *are* human, afterall.
5
How bizarre to profile an automaker but forget to talk about him in the context of car sales and the auto industry? Stocks are part of the story, but when the Tesla Model 3 rubber hits the road in quantity this August, all this talk is moot. The new topic will be "MARKETSHARE" and whose lunch is being eaten...
What happens in August when the Tesla Model 3 becomes the #5 or #6 selling car in the USA? Do you think the CEOs of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Toyota, Honda, Kia, Subaru are sleeping at night? What happens when Tesla makes a pickup truck with more lbs. of torque right off the press of the pedal than any F150? Answer: Ambien for the Big 3.
6
Lofty predictions for a heavily subsidized car. What happened to any region that cut rebates on Tesla - sales tanked. Electric is cute but gas just works better.
1
@Peter remember those cellphone makers who laughed at the iPhone?
Indeed, working 120hrs a week is tough and will take a toll on anybody and their family. I just hope Mr Musk realizes there are many Dads across America working 3 jobs just to make ends meet.
5
What a wonderful puff piece by the Times and how touching is the sympathy afforded Musk. So many responsibilities, and all of them self-inflicted. If he so desired, he could probably retire and live comfortably for the rest of his life.
What about the minimum wage workers struggling to get by? Missing weddings, missing appointments, in most cases probably missing out entirely on the pleasures of a middle to mid-upper class life.
No one cares.
4
Love you Elon! Take care. This too shall pass.
5
Tesla owes everyone who lost money long or short from the time of his tweet till the truth of this article full restitution. This was a blatant violation of SEC rules and people were hurt by his ranting.
4
2nd largest solar power provider in the country back when everyone was hostile towards solar. Sustainable space flight and exploration, potential to revolutionize launch cost. Made electric cars ubiquitous and cool. Environmentally friendly mass transit. Payment methods that cut out big banks as the middle man. Accelerated battery technology by about 50 years.
What on earth is wrong with you people? If this man achieves 10% of what he hopes, he will have materially improved the lives of millions of people and created technologies that could carry us into the future. You can make a REALLY strong argument that he already has. Where would these industries be without Mr. Musk?
He has faced mockery, insults, and hostility every step of the way since PayPal - and still succeeded at most of what he sought out to do. His work can and will make life better for your children's children's children - why is he treated with more vitriol than the CEO of Nestle or big pharma?
I would encourage everyone to step back and introspect. Chances are, 95% of this comments section has done NOTHING at even a fraction of the scale of Musk to leave humanity a better place than we left it. We've never taken even a single risk like the ones he's taken. We've never faced even a fraction of the hate, and kept going.
Are you sure you hate Musk because of why you say you do? Are you sure it's not because he makes us feel small, short-sighted, head-down, and insignificant?
8
@William. I don't hate Musk. I just didn't drink the Kool-aid. I think Mr. Musk set battery technology back-- by denigrating hydrogen fuel cells, when he had the presidents ear, and going all in on lithium ion batteries. Battery tech is moving on, I wonder if Mr. Musk will move with it or stubbornly insist upon LI (and his fans will continue to insist he is a creative genius either way).
3
If our goal is to reduce CO2 then we should all turn vegetarians, ban cars in high density areas and invest in mass transport. BEVs are basically for the rich who want to virtue signal without reducing consumption. I don't see how Asians/Africans can afford BEVs. Even a country like India, so called member of BRICS, has unreliable power supply. And they cannot harvest sunshine on their rooftops because they don't have enough rooftops in cities which have mostly high-rises. Elon Musk may be a technological and entrepreneurial genius but he is not the savior of the world.
5
I have a love-hate relationship with the Musk. I admire his goals, can-do attitude and achievements, but he jumped the shark for me this year when he went after analysts, short sellers and the especially the press. None of those groups made the promises he did about making 200,000 Model 3s in the 2nd half of 2017, they just pointed out that Tesla wasn't able to make its own goals. Musk's attacks on the press and use of Twitter remind me of someone else who spouts off but is totally lacking in substance. Musk needs to focus on running his company and not his mouth.
5
Clark Aldrich pointed out that “leadership is the big skill of getting groups of people to do the right work.” Or, an inspired ability to delegate.
When Musk learns to delegate and trust other humans - we’re not barnacles - his life and the lives of those working for him will be vastly improved.
1
One day we will hear that he suffered a heart attack or stroke.
His Type-A personality means that everything has to fall on him and only him. Delegation is not an option, nor tending to his kids and the things in life that really are important and do matter.
Building a car is, in the greater scheme of things, not very important.
1
It's discouraging to see the editorial-like criticism of a great American thinker. While many here complain of the everyday struggles that come with working or managing a small-business, who can say they have pushed a transformational energy and space agenda, while building several multi-billion dollar business? Many of us would be lucky enough to achieve a portion of this. While his tweeting was irresponsible.. it should not be the nail on the coffin of this entrepreneurial leader. A substantial fine seems more than fair to discourage future bad behavior from Mr. Musk.
8
Thank you for removing the "BREAKING NEWS" banner from this story. It should be reserved for things like a magnitude 6 earthquake in progress, or the President has been shot, et cetera.
11
I have a lot of difficulty believing he's being sincere in this interview and not playing us all.
8
Hang this man on an errant tweet? A man whose company has so much Great vision and gave an incredible vision to the world. There are those in higher office who talk of making things great, here we have Elon Musk actually achieving it. He is human.
9
Musk reminds me of Trump, that other tweeting whiner. since Trump's having trouble finding "the best" to fill all of those vacant government positions, Musk is a natural choice once Tesla tanks or Tesla's board fires him.
Each of them is in grave need of a shrink.
3
I agree with many of the comments that people have posted here. However, I think Mr. Musk deserves to be congratulated for what he has accomplished in such a short time in his life.
He's 47 years young, and look at what he has done so far, and what I hope will come in the future. Mr. Musk sold Paypal in 2002, at the age of 21, Space X founded in 2002,Tesla in 2003 (age 22),and SolarCity in 2006 (age 25).
He's pure genius, and although, as I said may deserve chastising, just look at the people who have ruined people's lives (Banks and brokerage houses during the crash of 1987), companies polluting the land, waters, and air, and so forth.
I think Mr. Musk deserves the accolades, as well as the complaints, but I hope Mr. Musk will live a long, long life, and will create even more that we or you can ever imagine.
9
@Majortrout just noting that the numbers in the second graf here can't be right.
Instead of 'guessing' about his 'background', just check it out in DOZENS of internet articles/websites/posts. He started w/the precursor of PayPal. They were nothing more than greedy 'bill collectors'. Became PayPal, later; used 'near-illegal' methods to 'hold' the buyers' $$$, with access to customers' [buyers] bank accounts, for lengthy periods of time. THIS money was not just 'held' - it was INVESTED - making MILLIONS of $$$ for the so-called 'PayPal Mafia' - look it up, you will SEE who was involved AND where/how they made their millions. PayPal was extremely audacious near criminal organization then merged w/E-baiy - ANOTHER shoddy outfit who also used 'borderline illegal' schemes
to de-fraud buyers. Check out HER background/involvement there ! Where do you think she got all that $ to attempt that feeble run for California public office ???
2
I might be more sympathetic if Mr. Musk did not have a long history of vicious personal attacks on everyone from critics to the diver helping to free the Thai boys trapped in a cave who he disgustingly called a pedophile. He is brilliant and accomplished man but he is also a nasty bully who wants people to feel sorry that he is exhausted.
5
Musk started a revolution, anyone who has ever read about or driven a Tesla knows it. Even if his ambition won’t work out all the way , he woke up the automotive industry from its “combustive “ sleep ! His vision and entrepreneurial abilities are saving earth and the modern society as we know it. Ho and he is a human being too , that what’s coming out in this NYtimes interview. I CANT wait for my model 3 that will arrive in 3 weeks .....
Who cares? No CEO of a public company should think "it is about me", or expect anyone to be sympathetic to this whining. The techno elite and ultra wealthy elite should instead just be happy that so far there hasn't been a significant organized backlash against their impact on income disparity and economic opportunity.
5
you'd help yourself a lot of you didn't make all kinds of ridiculous statements, or make terrible things like blowtorches for the already-insane-enough public. Actt more professionally and life may get easier.
2
Next to Trump, Musk is the most unsympathetic person on the planet.
7
And Martin Shirkeli, the epi-pen narcissist
“They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool”
Elon Musk, like all of the self driven innovators and disrupters that have come before him ( Tesla, Edison , Jobs ...) is changing the world as we know it and if he were to have listened to the advice of the critics and naysayers there would be no Tesla or SpaceX today.
Elon .. Driving my new Model3 ( the car they said you would never deliver ) and loving it .
Ignore them all. Keep on Keeping on !!
9
I am sick and tired of malignant narcissists running the show. I'll settle for "smartish," morally responsible leadership any day of the week.
21
The jealousy seen here in these comments boggles my mind. People I like to think used to admire people like musk. Now, self proclaiming smart people spew endless nonsense pretending to be social scientists. Musk has done more in one day than most people have done in a lifetime. Just because you people hate electric cars and don’t believe in global warming doesn’t make Musk deserving of your nonsense.
9
@Billbo
i don't hate electric cars, i do believe in global warming---what i hate, among other things, are the "liberals", i.e., center-right to right wing reactionaries, like you, who engage in apologetics for people conducting class warfare. Elon Musk wants to save the world, and that's all well and good because I support action against global warming, but what's not all well and good is to resist unionization efforts, among other things, so he can crush underfoot all his employees who don't have the ability to get the New York Times to write an article on their own, individual, troubles.
Ever notice that women geniuses are more stable?
6
@Pia Ever heard of Theranos?
1
Details, details. The story of Elon's connection to the Thai cave rescue has been mis-told by hundreds of media outlets, including the New York Times. Vernon Unsworth is not a cave diver, he is a cave explorer with extensive knowledge of the Thai cave where the boys were trapped. But that's where his expertise ends.
Elon Musk did not launch into the mini submarine project of his own accord. He was asked to do so by Rick Stanton, one of the two British divers who discovered the boys. Stanton guided the development of the mini submarine, which was built by a group of engineers at SpaceX. Apparently, Vernon Unsworth was unaware of Stanton's involvement with the mini sub when he called it a "publicity stunt." Rick Stanton wanted to have the option of using the mini submarine for the youngest boy, but in the end it wasn't needed.
6
Mr. Musk is no doubt a genius and visionary. In fact Musk and Larry Page are the two men who I consider this current generation's Einstein or a Nikola Tesla. However Mr. Musk is also a bit of a grand-stander compared to the more business savvy Larry Page. Both have pie-in-the-sky ideas and the brilliance to execute them. Mr Page however benefits from having a cash cow in Google's ad business and also the ability to delegate. Elon Musk unfortunately does not have that and that might be because he does not want to delegate or trust others while spreading himself too thin. He needs to let go and let the day to day management be handled by others allowing him the freedom to do what he likes best. Ideate and build like Page and Brin are doing. Otherwise he is headed for a meltdown or a sudden death due to all that Ambien and no sleep.
1
Didn't I hear that Musk is bi-polar? He could be going through a bad (and dangerous) episode right now. I hope his friends reach out to him.
3
You must be kidding me. Elon Musk has some sleepless nights, time management issues, and this makes the front page of the New York Times? I have lots of respect for him, but this is ridiculous. Note to Elon and company: Twitter is for teenagers and those in the middle of disasters.
3
If Musk were as smart as he thought, he would've found a way to lessen his workload by hiring or grooming other smart people to shoulder some of his responsibilities at Tesla or SpaceX.
2
I watched the interview Jim Stewart gave on CNBC this morning regarding the interview.
Mr Stewart, is to be commended for his journalistic empathy on this and other articles.
Jim Stewart is one of the main reasons this Scottish-Canadian dusted off his charge card and actually paid for a digital subscription to the New York Times.
3
I'm sorry that Mr. Musk is having a hard time. Hopefully he can find a way through this, and be stronger for it.
1
I for one am glad he's constitutionally barred from running for President, as his disposition for histrionics seems like this could have been on his mind in 20 years.
6
The tortured soul of the narcissist/wealth-hoarder. There is never enough money, enough fame, enough (and this speaks to a national pathology) adoration.
6
I'll cut Mr. Musk some slack since the press, short-sellers, and luddite car companies all take aim at him for good copy, easy bucks, or their own survival.
It's interesting that day traders rushed to cash-in on his errant tweet, never mind their own responsibility for due diligence.
I also note how we the public in our comments say how we'd do his job better while at the same time we let our world wilt and de-civilize. All this while he is in the trenches attempting what is thought to be in the realm of impossible. If he is guilty of anything it caring too much while trying too hard. An errant tweet, not such a big deal, let it go.
3
My daughter works at Tesla. It is a great company that treats its employees well, expects a lot, gives great benefits including generous maternity leave, essentially free health care, etc. They do this in America, and turn out a product that is the envy of the world. I am definitely gonna side with Musk every time as long as this company does such a fantastic job with its products and its American workers. Other American manufacturing companies should take a page from Tesla's playbook if they truly care about their workers.
10
@ahay
Nice try ahay.
"At Tesla’s Factory, Building The Car Of The Future Has Painful And Permanent Consequences For Some Workers"
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolineodonovan/tesla-fremont-fact...
"Tesla Ignored Drug Trafficking, $37 Million Theft, Whistleblower Says"
https://www.thestreet.com/technology/tesla-has-another-whistleblower-146...
Mr. Musk is a creative genius, and as most creative people, he is mentally fragile. People criticizing Mr. Musk here have not been in his shoes.
Yes Mr. Musk is rich, yes he is successful, yes he is lucky but it seems to me as if he is not a happy man.
My advice to Mr. Musk would be to get a more spiritual life and try to understand the meaning of his life. As a Christian, I would say that Mr. Musk received many gifts from God. That usually comes with a price.
Mr. Musk should take minimum 3 months sabbatical, take time to reconnect with his true self.
Mr. Musk you have nothing to prove, you have achieved more than most people will ever do, despite the fact that you were not born in this country.
A deep spiritual life is what Mr. Musk needs.
2
It is sad to see people piling on Elon Musk when what he seems to need is support, both in business and in his personal life. Is he his own worst enemy? Yes, but we can say the same thing about each of us. Mr. Musk, who incidentally, shares several characteristics to Nikola Tesla, is a driven man by nature but the flames are fueled by share holders, the media and the public. Outwardly, he seems to enjoy all the hype, perhaps thinking that it validates him, but my advice to him would be to focus on making time to step away from it all on a regular basis and getting in touch with what he needs to maintain a long-term healthy life style and a long term successful business. Too often I have see the wonderkinds who make It to great heights only to find it a lonely, desolate and meaningless space. Many people love a great tragic story of the fallen hero such as Nikola, but you Elon can do much better than that. Good Luck.
4
This is incredibly sad and reckless at the same time. I've been one of Musk's harshest critics with his antics of selling flame throwers online, calling out the media, berating an analyst, his April's Fools Day bankruptcy joke and of course, the infamous tweet. The list goes on and on. The bottom line is this man is at the helm of a major company that is funded by stockholders and this behavoir is unacceptable. But once again, we see another example of power not being placed in check, as the Tesla Board of Directors who sees what we see, divulges Musk's possible Ambien addiction and does absolutely nothing about it.
4
Men (and only men) like Elon Musk are perverted by their narcissism and self-ordained genius. They think that working 120 hours a week and not seeing their kids is noble sacrifice. They don’t see their kids because they don’t care enough to see them. Children are accessories like everyone else, literally far less important than a car part.
3
The least he could do is have a driver so he could rest while in transport..and really, work all day on your birthday like the world is gonna end if you take yourself to Bali and rent a villa over the water and enjoy being a billionaire? Isn't that the purpose of being a billionaire? Misery and loneliness doesn't sound like like it should be the life goal....
I don't understand, Mr Musk make a twitter statement and Tesla's stocks go crazy up. How is this such a bad thing? Shareholders just realized better than a 10% gain, why is this criminal? So he made a tweet that was maybe, at worst, not very well thought out - I say, give it a rest and move on, nothing to see here.
1
It’s been my experience that people who work unreasonably long hours aren’t working effectively, they’re just spinning. These organizational martyrs always make sure you know how hard they’re working and the personal sacrifices it’s cost them. Nut up birthday boy and take a time management course. You’re not a hero, you’re a liability.
5
I don’t have the slightest idea of how it would be managing a billion dollars company but it must be extremely stressful knowing that you could end up losing everything and owning millions to a creditors.
Same as when someone loses his job and can’t find one and bills are pulling up...
The stress can kill you...
1
The idea of SpaceX buying Tesla continutes the pyramid scheme.
Elon Musk is the head of spaceX, Tesla, and Solar City. Despite massive taxpayer and rate payer subsidies,Solar City was hemorrhaging cash and going down the tubes. So Tesla "bought" solar city. Tesla, which also enjoys unprecedented taxpayer subsidies also has been hemorrhaging cash and has never come close to making a profit or making production goals.
So, Musk's new idea is to get taxpayer subsidized SpaceX to buy his taxpayer subsidized Tesla and Solar City. Can anyone say "pyramid scheme"?
5
Still found plenty of time to tweet
3
While driving to the airport!!
Well it seems obvious that Mr. Musk is on the verge of having a breakdown from the physical and emotional stress he is under. More than likely taking Adderall to keep going and taking Ambien to sleep. And I mean no disrespect by writing that. You can easily see that Mr. Musk is under tremendous pressure and stress and believes it is his responsibility to handle so much of the workload. I feel sorry for him. He is a man who has built so much in such a short period of time and it is catching up to him. I don’t know him personally, but I have followed him and his work through articles and interviews for years and it is plainly obvious that his personality has been changing recently. He has always stuck me as a very down-to-earth man, a hard worker, kind & generous, someone who cares about helping people and our planet, but is taking on way too much for one person to handle. I hope he seeks help and I really hope that the board and him agree upon a No. 2 to take some of the load off of him. But I can see he would think of that as weakness. He is too good of a person to see fall so I wish him my best. And for all of you who have been writing negative comments and saying horrible things, maybe you should seek therapy to find out why you lack empathy, human compassion, and love to degrade an individual who has actually made something of himself and has a great vision of helping humanity. So many of you sound like trump, loving to bash someone who does so much for so many.
3
Boring Company. Cave rescue. Mars. I just roll my eyes whenever I hear yet another (mis)(ad)venture of Musk's. It's as if he needs new stimuli every a few months because he can't focus on just one thing too long. Meanwhile people who prepaid gobs of money on his promises are still waiting.
There is real money involved here. The customers' as well as the investors'. Musk should pick one (ok, two) venture and focus on delivering on the promises already made instead of getting distracted by new things every month about traveling by rockets burning BF amount of fossil fuel or saving LA from congestion. That may also buy him some time to occasionally see his friends and family, and perhaps stop him from typing unhinged tweets.
2
Elon Musk's ace in the sleeve is not his intelligence or his innovative spirit (whatever that means), but the fact that his rockets have a guaranteed quota from the Pentagon, which enables him to dump in the market.
3
Be careful, Elon. One only has to read about Nikola Tesla himself to see some similarities. Trust your board and find the helpers who can help you.
2
I think he should apologize to all the workers in the Tesla plant who have had to work overtime and wrestle with poor factory planning to do their jobs! They have had it a lot harder than him.
410
@RogerApologize for providing them a job that pays a decent wage plus overtime?
@Roger
How would you know? I work at the factory in Fremont often. People aren't being overworked and they're paid quite well. Why do people who don't know what they are talking about need to make sure everyone knows what they think?
I don't want to invest my hard earned money with an admitted drug user who has relied on government federal income tax credits to sell his cars.
3
@Ron Wilson
Wow, you must be very principled. I bet you don't deducted your home mortgage interest or take advantage of long term capital gains tax rates.
Right?
Musk says he works ridiculously long hours, but that is his choice. Or perhaps he has no choice in his behaviour, given his hubris, greed and conviction that the world owes him a lot.
2
Whether many want to believe it or not, history will certainly judge Elon Musk as the profoundly impactful genius that he is. Musk has literally altered the trajectory of three major industries (so far) with his imagination and relentless determination. As with all of history’s overachievers, he also certainly has some flaws. Those who root against him rely on a series of ill informed arguments far more often than fact based reasoning. It’s as if government contracts, research and tax incentives didn’t have a critical hand in almost all great technological advances of the past hundred and fifty years. The Wright Brothers knew and relied on the need for federal investment, as does Musk. Everything from the power grid to Bell’s communications network received incentives, monopoly protections and numerous other forms of government help. Does he need to find an outstanding operations executive to help run Tesla? Certainly. Should a single errant tweet be allowed to derail one of the most incredible living contributors to American technological leadership? Not on your life. Just ask any of our most accomplished scientists and engineers, Musk’s flaws pale against his profound accomplishments.
3
I'm a huge fan of Mr. Musk as I think he's trying to solve some very significant problems facing us today AND pursuing some very personal goals that I find particularly appealing.
That said, I have one tiny bit of advice from decades of trying to achieve the impossible on a smaller scale:
It's not all about you.
Let your goals and your achievements speak for themselves. Hand your babies over and let others carry them forward. Think of it as spreading the good word...
1
The fate of our environment may very well hinge on the success of this single company. Many things have to happen to stop global warming, but one of the essential items is not having millions of vehicles around the world burning fossil fuels on a daily basis. If Tesla succeeds it will unquestionably force the entire industry to transition to electric cars ASAP. If it fails, the industry will take its sweet time, all too happy to limit their goals to trying to satisfy investors without any vision for anything longer than the present fiscal year.
Credit belongs to doers, not critics. Musk, like all of us, has his flaws. That makes him human, but at least he is going out into the world and trying to accomplish something meaningful. So, to all the critics, when was the last time you pushed yourself to achieve something meaningful for society or even your own community that risked failure????
Elon, we NEED you to succeed, and please know that some of us know you will never give up and that achieving something great means pushing the envelope to the limit.
13
Poor man. Millions work just as hard, with just as much personal toll, without a fraction of the reward.
15
"My Name is Elon Musk, I own a Mansion and a Yacht. I'm a victim, pity me.
Give me a break. My parents were nearly killed as children and escaped to the US. They arrived here penniless and worked themselves to the bone, and I with them. The small business that they started relied on one broken down truck, which was all they could afford. It was backbreaking work, 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, and since the truck had no heat and no air-conditioning, we either froze to death in the winter or cooked alive in the summer. We also went into the most undeserved neighborhoods, which means that they were profoundly poor, and also very dangerous. On more than one occasion my father was nearly shot because while he was making a delivery some guys came in and robbed the store he was making a delivery to.
Poor Musk the multi-billionaire, who "choked up multiple times, noting that he nearly missed his brother’s wedding this summer." The fact is he didn't miss it, which is more than I can say for far too many Americans, whose aren't filthy rich, yet surprisingly still have to deal with the enormous demands of their jobs, which means they miss family events all of the time, and still have to worry about little things, like how to pay for housing, food, and basic medical care.
After reading this I guess I need to call up my parents and tell them that after all of the very real hardship they endured they should never stop crying.
18
Musk doesn't have the diversity of skills he thinks he does, understandably. He needs to back away from Tesla production and let someone else, who understands auto manufacturing, take over.
There is a vast difference between the skill set required for the cutting edge R&D skills needed to create a prototype and the skill set required for mass market production.
Prototype development requires technical problem solving and a vision for a solution that can be made to work.
Manufacturing automobiles is vastly different. It requires intricately locked logistics to assure that parts that are all exactly the same are available at the time they are needed on the manufacturing floor and that they are assembled in exactly the right way every time. No creative changes are desirable. Just do it the same every single time and make sure you have the QA system in place to verify that.
I've had jobs in both kinds of fields and did poorly as a manufacturing engineer.
Musk can't do well in both, and his skills are primarily in the superb genius of space hardware.
3
Another glaring example of the impotence of corporate directors on boards of companies (and for that matter, countries) dominated by mentally unstable, highly narcissistic CEOs who are Wall Street darlings. We must make directors individually as well as collectively culpable by requiring the disclosure of their individual actions and viewpoints as board members.
1
When his idea was rejected, he resorted to hostile and unfounded comments directed at the diver trying to save the boys trapped in the cave in Thailand. For him, what he thinks and how he wants to do things is the right way and the only way. Most likely, his dealing with subordinates bears the stamp of an abusive megalomaniac. So no surprise here.
5
Working as many as 120 hours per week: here is a textbook case of a micro manager who cannot delegate properly nor hire trustworthy associates.
5
donald tRump Musk is the author of his own personal difficulties. Most of us don't feel much empathy for him. I'd advise him to see a psychologist, and maybe start anti-depressants. Also, more sleep would help.
3
Really disheartening comments here. the man is trying to save the world, the REAL world, not the imaginary one the GOP lives in. Get behind him and maybe we can help him succeed, and by proxy, the whole human race will succeed.
1
@Ben
"the man is trying to save the world"
Ben, your brain has been hijacked.
Musk is an American oligarch. His motivation is profit.
3
I wonder what his factory employees think about his excruciating working conditions.
4
With all those private jet flights, I wonder what Elon Musk's carbon footprint looks like? Seems pretty big for a "green" entrepreneur.
8
You know, given all we've heard about conditions in the Tesla factory, I agree it must be pretty harrowing to have to spend three to four consecutive days there.
5
I am not about to pile on and beat up on Musk ... but will share a few things with the hope that he and other leaders will read.
He needs a good dose of humility - something not found in leadership today. He needs to humble himself in the true sense of the word. When he does so he will recognize a few things.
He needs to realize that he cannot do it all - and although he and Tesla and SpaceX have been successful how much more successful could they have been if he was better able to delegate and free his mind and resources to focus on growing Tesla and SpaceX. To free his genius to think great things and set in motion great things.
He needs to find that he does have peers - people that can help run Tesla and SpaceX and increase the value of the companies.
What we need from Musk is intellectual thought leadership not someone bogged down in operational, logistical issues.
The greatest leaders lead great people and built teams, armies, navies, companies, organizations of all sorts that ran so well that if the leader was absent they succeeded without the leader. A paradox of sorts. But true.
I hope Musk finds the balance and wellness he needs because we need people like him ... those that push the limits and make us think about what we an accomplish with imagination and ambition.
Get well soon
5
There's an obvious and deliberate attempt to crush this innovative company any way possible by a very organized and controlled entity. This hate campaign has no problem "recruiting" followers on social media. People have an innate need to project negative emotions onto those they could only dream of becoming or matching, even in a small way, in their achievements.
This combination is killing America's most innovative company. I've written my congressmen and senators about enacting legislation that will identify and eliminate such efforts at the source. Freedom of Speech is one thing. Starting an organized effort to crush innovation because you feel you can not compete with it, is another and completely different matter.
How many times do we have to let this happen & be robbed of innovators and their innovations by corporate greed?
It's been successfully employed on almost every automobile startup, that is well documented. It's use in industry has a long history destroying innovation.
Going private is Tesla's only defense right now. Just take a look at the headlines, it's extremely obvious what is going on. Elon's tweet will have the end result of guaranteeing every shareholder votes to go private. A master chess player, no doubt, and hopefully the one entrepreneur who can defeat these kinds of efforts by allowing them to blow them selves out as a fireman does a raging oil fire.
We are seeing today how America feels about Musk being diluted in his Tesla leadership.
Fanboys like you are the problem. You encouraged him to go off in all directions, when you should have been telling him to focus on getting the cars out the door. And now look what you've done.
1
There seems to be a bit of animosity for Musk’s success and wealth. Poor billionaire! Yet we as a society tend to worship and depend on our industrious, creative geniuses but cannot empathize with how much of their life they sideline to create successful outcomes.
Musk is an exceptional entrepreneur and visionary. He also exhibits signs of a bi-polar disorder with episodes of mania and depression. With his penchant for risk taking (betting the farm), I am surprised the market continues to provide him the capital.
3
Hamlet of the Valley?
Musk lacks Emotional Intelligence.
Appears not to be a good decision maker
or operations manager.
This whole Silicon Valley / Founder CEO cycle,
funded with PUBLIC MONEY should end.
Musk's words and actions support this.
1
Leaving some of Mr. Musk's personal vanities aside, this article and much of the commentary is missing the bigger problem: Namely, that being a public company has become more and more of what the problem is these days.
I, for one, don't heap praise on most heads of our public companies. They have become so myopic in terms of the current notion of "shareholder value" that they fail to invest in their businesses, in the training of their workers, in the promotion and salvation of the communities they operate in, etc..... in just about every area of corporate responsibility. The only "innovation" they've been able to conceive for decades is boosting their bottom lines and stock values via tax cuts and stock buybacks, not product advancement and disruptions to their industries.
Again, whatever one might think of Musk's openness in this interview, this is someone mounting some serious challenges to the status quo in several industries that are crucial to national security (space, transportation, energy generation, etc...). Industries whose leaders have, frankly, been resting on their laurels for decades.
If he's publicly bucking the pressures that many of our other public companies have sheepishly capitulated to in their long march to mediocrity, and he's now considering going private to avoid them, you can count me on Team Musk.
4
Poor guy. Once heard a story about Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox great. He rarely gave interviews. When asked how he handled the pressure of maintaining his performance, he said "What pressure? Pressure is my dad picking potatoes for a living and feeding the family, that is pressure." Can you imagine what Musk's employees think about his pity party?
11
Well, if he didn't have an enormous ego, and drive, and both bravado and determination, to be able to dismiss others' cautions, he wouldn't have multiple ventures stretching the state of the art on land and in space. Absolutely remarkable.
Was he losing it? Was his judgment skewed not only by his selective biases, but by the enormous stresses he put himself under? Even Elon Musk needs recharging: sleep, food, even some company. Even Elon Musk's brain doesn't have quick solutions to every problem. And with the breadth of his ventures, he cannot be the "decider" on every detail, forever ( and still function).
Taking Tesla public created different obligations: this is not a man who embraces shared decision-making. Not the greatest fit.
Perhaps Tesla is close to being able to make it forward on its own? But the innovations at its inception could NOT have come from anyone out of the traditional auto industry, or from a typical CEO type focused on returns and salary, and limiting R&D. Shareholders were hoping for a bonanza - dramatic returns in minimal time - which only come when there is also major risk of loss of your investment... that definitely has not happened.
Mr. Musk is clearly unique in American business. One has only to look at other "tech" companies to see their lack of vision in product development--even with billions to invest in innovation. With the loss of Steve Jobs, is there anyone else out there in his "future thinking" league? But he clearly suffers in the department of trusting his top people to solve problems...or he doesn't know how to identify prospects for these jobs.
O bo ho. A billionaire who could hire a stadium of counselors for his so called problems. Cry me a river. I admire Musk for his innovations but really? Really? We are suppose to feel sorry for him? Rich people problems. What a waster of newspaper space.
How about this Elon? If you don't like being under pressure, quit. And live off your billions. I have zero sympathy for him
11
Very interesting story and a bit of a cautionary tale for lots of hard-driving, ambitious types in our unkind culture.
Hans Selye who discovered the physiological stress response in 1936 (alarm-resistance-exhaustion) was once asked how do you control the stress response so you and your body don't become exhausted.
His answer: Control the pace of life.
Musk is not only a smart, visionary guy, he appears to have some capacity for self-reflection (unlike our se;f-absorbed and obsessed president). It least Musk is beginning realize you can't have it all and you can't do it all.
(Ask a lot of working women with kids, aging parents, lots of competing responsibilities, and a demanding job or jobs).
Listen to your body; ignore the signs and a heavy price can be paid. And, you can't beat the stress, wear and tear with alcohol or drugs (including prescription drugs)--although plenty of people try.
It would be interesting to follow up later and see how Musk deals with this challenge and how it works out for Tesla.
1
The time a billionaire wept about how much pressure he was under, and didn't once consider apologizing for the billions of dollars he cost his investors (maybe b/c he's not sorry/doesn't think he did anything wrong?). "If you have anyone who can do a better job..." LOL. I think we'd be hard pressed to find someone who could do a worse job at this point #founderCEOblues #letgo
5
Oh please....crocodile tears. He's a smart guy; grow up!! Shut your mouth, retrench, hire a trainer, massuese and chef. Delegate more to other smart people and make it work. The rest of us in business know how to weather a crisis: regroup, assess, plan, execute...get back to basics and solve your problems. And quit talking to the press...you look like an amateur.
5
Oh boo hoo, Mr. Billionaire. Life is so rough, especially managing that big tax windfall your Republican criminal friends handed you. Let me get out my teeny tiny violin and play you a teeny tiny sad song. I'm so sorry it's so difficult to manage all that money. Maybe we should go back to a marginal tax rate of 90 percent - the way it was under that Great Socialist President Dwight D. Eisenhower - and relieve you of this terrible burden so we can fund all the earned benefits y0our Republican pals are just itching to get rid of: you know, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Or better yet, why don't we pass a law to cut off all of your funds for a year, and get you a job as a Wall Mart Associate for 7.50 an hour? We'll throw in the food stamps; you'll be so much happier helping folks with MAGA hats buy power tools.
3
I would be a lot more sympathetic if he had a better track record of good jobs at good wages; His company uses far to many "contract" and Temporary workers on the PRODCTION line, and his well publicized problems with the "high tech" material handling system; well, the obvious "goal" was to avoid paying the skilled (unionized?) fork lift operators. Millions for Software, pennies for the workers. Good luck selling a Model 3 to your software.
5
Musk spends to much time with the media folks. Maybe if he spent more time running his company he could put in eight hour at the office, go home, and start enjoying life. But who am I to judge if he is enjoying life. If he is, then fine......stay right where you are and continue telling us how miserable you are.
this is a lame attempt to control the not guilty sec fraud narrative.
elon flew in a private jet half way around the world to Spain to barely rub shoulders w world's most powerful people, leaving LA factory at the very end of TSLA's most critical model 3 production schedule period.
https://us.hola.com/en/lifest
and as far as his sympathy seeking whining about not seeing his kids, shortly after the Spanish wedding the family went to Scotland's Game of Thrones set:
https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/tvandradio/2018/07/05/news/elon-musk...
1
it says a lot about contemporary american society and this newspaper that this guy gets his own soapbox and pity piece when (according to wikipedia) he has a net worth of 19.1 billion dollars.
frankly i couldn't care less about him and his life. he could die tomorrow and i have a hard time seeing what difference it would make not just to me, but to american society overall. if he feels miserable, then he should just take an antidepressant and shut up about it---i'm sure that's what he expects of his employees, except they don't have 19.1 billion dollars to cover their health costs and so on.
3
There are literally dozens of VP-level execs at Ford, GM, Fiat-Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Renault etc that are more qualified to run Tesla than Elon Musk. Time to step aside.
Also, next time don't text while driving.
5
Some questions the NYT didn't ask:
- How does working with the Saudis comport with your anti-fossil-oil agenda?
- You have a large base of share holders who believe in you, and the stock is going up in spite of continuing losses. So what's wrong with being a publicly traded company?
- Why do short-sellers bother you? How have they hurt your company?
- With your 120-hour work week, why did you get into the Thai children rescue project? When it turned out that your help wasn't needed, why did you lash out at a person who did help?
- Do you think that you are always right and everyone else is wrong? Do you think everyone who doesn't agree with you 100% is out to get you?
2
Honestly, I see part of the problem rooted in Tesla's static geography. Tesla HQ is in the most expensive part of the country - and Tesla doesn't employee teleworkers (mostly). So they immediately become dependent on Silicon Valley to provide their workers, or that new employees will move to silicon valley.
Here's the problem - this nation is covered with top not employees who would never move to Silicon Valley, but who would LOVE to work for a company like Tesla. Without telecommuting, Tesla is restricted to a subset of workers available. Eventually it becomes a growth restraint, or the quality of business internally suffers, because you are demanding your employees live in an incredibly expensive area.
Obviously this doesn't apply to top executives, but anyone below that level should be able to function well and contribute to the bottom line as a remote employee.
4
Did you read the article where it mentioned he flew to a gigafactory in Nevada? If Nevada isn’t affordable nowhere is. Besides people move to where the jobs are. If you don’t that’s your problem.
1
@Billbo
Gigafactory is assembly oriented, but your point is valid. I was speaking more to engineering and management jobs - ie jobs that you train and educate for, rather than factory plant assembly/maintenance workers.
Bottom line - you can find low skill, assembly line employees easily - it's the engineers and managers who aren't as easily found.
Yes The whole working world feels SO sorry for this billionaire who sometimes spent DAYS, literally DAYS at his office taking care of his business. Get me my violin so I can play a little chin music for this guy.
3
I'm not bitter about Mr. Musk's success in life. But the anguish of someone who woke up next to his celebrity girlfriend, had a nice workout, took his $100k car to the airport to board a private plane doesn't trigger much compassion in me. Mr. Musk could solve all his problems by just shutting up and doing his job.
5
The issue with Mr. Musk is ego. The problems: self-inflicted. I have little empathy for a man who cannot delegate then complains about his workload. Tesla Motors has the responsibility to shareholders. Where is the Board of Directors?
3
Why doesn't he just concentrate on cars istead of getting involved in rockets too.? Do one thing and do it well, he is spread too thin.
141
@James: The rockets came first, and, so far, are much the more successfully executed business. But yes, Musk is now spread too thin. Building a new automobile company from nothing is much harder than rocket science.
2
@James SpaceX was founded before Tesla
@James One working theory is that his side projects, like SpaceX and HyperLoop, may be branding strategies to build up the genius inventor image, giving him more cache with investors at Tesla. I think this theory has merit.
1
When you burn through cash faster than Musk can replenish it, it is time for someone to take the keys away, not take it private.
3
Mr. Musk is driven to make a better world. I wish him well.
11
When a conversation about a company—or any institution—always involves a discussion of an individual person, that arouses my skepticism. There’s a great poem by Shelley, called “Ozymandias”, that is a good reminder of perspective and self-importance, that comes to mind here.
3
If anyone has a loved one with bi-polar who takes ambien to sleep, this interview is a day in the life. (He has gone on record with that as his diagnosis) He is clearly suffering. If he is unmedicated or incorrectly medicated feeling that he cannot achieve his greatest potential while his mania is under control, then he is at risk. If he admits that his friends are worried about him, that's a red flag. He is a human being, first, billionaire, second.
6
Appears rocket science is easier than making cars --- and/or SpaceX has an effective CEO running the show and Tesla does not.
I'm going to be ill. Elon if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen.
2
When the Thai kids were trapped, Musk did not say, "I'd like to help. Would you like my help? And, if so, how can I help?" No. Instead he barged into delicate operations, made assumptions about what they needed, and tried to impose it on them. Then he called a rescuer who (understandly) criticized Musk's approach a pedophile. He may be a genius, but he seems like a very unpleasant immature man to be around.
4
In my opinion Steve Jobs was the king of recognizing good ideas, knowing how to optimize them, and then presenting the fully accomplished concept in manner that engendered an almost insatiable consumer hunger for the resultant product. Elon Musk has tried to up that game by hyping unfinished concepts as a sales ethic, which I believe is an I winnable mental game. Job’s efforts were essentially over when the stage lights landed on the finished product. Musk’s work is always before him because the concept—not fully tested, exceptionally complicated, and safety related—has been sold before goods are verified and made. That creates a pressure, which supersedes what Jobs put on himself and his people at Mac; and it is potentially lethal for Musk and his multiple workforces.
3
Are we now supposed to agonize over Musk's personal problems?
3
The whole Howard Hughes, millionaire/billionaire celebrity-CEO-as-tortured-rock-star thing, is getting old. REALLY old. We have a tortured CEO in the White House and every day it's a bigger and bigger mess for the everyday people. Enough with the privileged stable geniuses at the top, preening on the world stage and tormented with demons and mental problems. Enough already. Sick of it.
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Talk about self-inflicted penury.
Stay away from Twitter!
1
Reality check true american ,cant stay much for rest of deplorable 72 million on government assistance .Our country has some deep problems one which is its disreguard for leaving this world better place then what we received.
@Gerld hoefen Another "deep problem" our country has is bad grammar, poor punctuation, and a deep disdain for the unfortunate.
There is no way that I would ever buy a Tesla because of the anxiety which is engendered when I see that I am running out of fuel and there are no places to gas up. It has got to be worse with Tesla. That's what you get for your 120-large, a 7,000 lb. headache.
Now it they had made the car with a swappable battery they'd have something. You could drive into a service station and swap your depleted battery for a fully charged one.
Let us also note, when it comes to rechargeable electric cars, if they really caught on where would all of that increased electricity come from? I experience brown-outs and get robo-calls asking me to defer dishwashing and clothes laundering until at night.
Me, I have two Ford hybrids. 40-50 mpg's. I'm ok with that, more than double the gas mileage of their non-hybrid counterparts. Imagine where we would be if everyone drove a hybrid. We'd be swimming in oil.
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Give the guy a break. He is a genius. I agree with him that Tesla should go private. This will be the only way to build this company for the long term
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“There were times when I didn’t leave the factory for three or four days — days when I didn’t go outside,” Mr. Musk said.
"There were times I didn't leave the Aircraft Carrier for 30 or 40 days-days when there wasn't really an outside to go to," Mr. Lindemann said.
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Mr. Musk. Cry me a river. You are the CEO of a public company and people have invested their hard earned money in your company. If you can't handle the heat, you can always step aside and let the board pick another CEO who can.
The main issue you don't address is that the 120 hours of working in a week and all other issues arise from the simple fact that you can't trust and delegate to anyone else. When you override your subordinate decisions willy nilly and have to always put your stamp on every key decision, expect to work 120 hours a week. If you don't want that hire smart people and let them actually contribute.
811
@Matt
The qualities you're frowning on also made Thomas Edison and Steve Jobs the same great innovators that Mr. Musk is. He pursues multiple projects with total energy and concentration, is a perfectionist, and shining a light toward the future while serving the public interest in non-fossil fuel-based vehicles and reusable rockets. You can be sure he brainstorms with others along the way.
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@Matt I understand where you're comming from, but hiring smart people apparently is not enough. Look at the issues of model 3 ramp up. Only after Elon took Model 3 manufacturing form Doug Field Tesla was able to quickly work through the issues Dough apparently not capable of navigating through, despite his many years of experience. And you can bet that there are many situations like that.
Not many people have drive to work as hard as Elon. Not that he doesn't make mistakes, but when he does, at least he has enough spine to own them, apoligize and move on. It's all taking a toll on him, and as he said - should there be someone competent with whom he could share the tasks - he'd gladly do it. I personaly think he'll get some kind of support - be it COO, otherwise man will burn out eventually, as noone is made of steel. Not even Ironman ;)
@Matt: How do you know that EM consistently overrides his subordinates' decisions?
“if you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know. They can have the job. Is there someone who can do the job better? They can have the reins right now.”
There are likely hundreds of CEOs that could step in and do a better job. Musk is unlikely to relinquish control to anyone no matter who's available.
2
Elon is a once in a 100 years person. He also has a relatively innocent soul - low EQ and low patience (natural for such a high calibre entrepreneur).
However I fail to understand why the short sellers bother him so much? Why doesn't he let the imperfect market do what it does best and focus on his cars and his rockets (and his tunnels and his AI and his....)
The market is irrational in the short term and rational in the long term - if he owns 20% or whatever he owns why bother?
7
As when Bill Clinton bit his lower and proclaimed "I did not have sex with that woman", these crocodile tears from Musk are self serving and an attempt to manipulate public opinion in his favor. It is all contrived theatrics, and it is all a phony.
3
The verklempt posturing aside, Musk's fixation on shorts should be very bright, waving red flag. But the real killer here is the photo of that assembly line. Wow. It looks like the student council from my local high school organized a lock-in and started making electric cars.
2
Elon it would have been much much easier if only you kept away from Twitter or learn to restrain yourself a bit.
Ohhhh, the woes and travails of a billionaire carnival barker.....
2
Never has the expression "get a life!"been more applicable.
1
Someone call the wahambulance. Being a genius with great ideas does not absolve you from the realities of business. I for one would like my money back.
2
Another narcissist, everything is about him. Sound familiar ?
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I'm sorry you had to work on your birthday. Mr. Musk. Did you know that there are thousands upon thousands of Americans who work hours like that for a mere pittance?
Grow up.
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Whatever. When Musk defamed the character of British diver Vern Unsworth, who risked his own life to save 12 trapped children, I decided he lacked adequate character to be of any interest in any of his endeavors. It was only financial responsibility that caused Musk to ever apologize. His "kid sized sub" demonstrated ridiculously simplified conceptualization of the problem to be solved. I will never be a customer for any Musk product. His whimpering here on the front page of this newspaper is disgraceful.
3
This guy has 6 kids, I'm tired of reading about his concern for the planet. 6 progeny is irresponsible in the 21st century.
5
You may have billions and be a "visonary" but for me you still live in a prison of your own making. I DO pity you. And I DO feel very sorry for you as well.
Just when was the last time you heard the birds singing their morning song, Elon? Does it bring you the joy of a child to hear it? Does it give you a feeling of AWE? If it doesn't than you are not really living life at all.
2
Hopefully Mr. Musk likes the work he does. It's now safe to add Twitter to the list of deadly sins, I assume.
Why is the Times wasting page space on the emotions of this guy? What has his "suffering" got to do with the price of eggs? What has his "suffering" got to do with the major pivotal events that determine the course of global society? Why does the Times continue to oppress us with these immense egos?
1
Give the guy a break you all, would you? Everybody who works in a high-stress environment knows the feeling and the symptoms. The inability to sleep, missed family time, stress so high it is hard to cope - all symptoms that should be familiar to everyone with a high-stake career. But most of these people (myself included) are not doing great things like he is. Most are just in it for the ego and the money, Elon is actually reshaping industries. I hope he takes better care of himself from now on.
6
Not a lot of sympathy. If he hadn't let his ego get so overblown, and his arrogance rule his brain he may have realized years ago that he could not run the world all by himself. Most of his problems have been brought on by his pride and overconfidence. When you think you're superman and God all rolled into one it can wear you out, no question. Solution? Take a vacation, man. Relax. When you come back, guess what? The world will still be turning.
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@Ms. Pea
I’m retired now but I’ve worked for two corporations (one private, Mars Inc, the other public, Apple) with extremely skilled but mercurial owners. It’s takes extreme ego, confidence and a lack of ability to comfortably delegate as their companies are their life and their personas demand excellence.
I am not comfortable nor can I relate to these personalities, but looking at the past only such people with these extremes can lead to extreme change - it’s disruptive and destructive to the established ways, but it creates absolutely new products and services (Edison, Ford, Gates, Jobs, Musk, etc...).
I can accept they are totally different , as in outliers, in their thoughts, words and actions while recognizing that I am not like them at all. But then again I’ve never attempted nor will I ever “change the world”(Steve Jobs).
1
@Ms. Pea
Its a funny thing Mrs. Pea. I believe that you are correct when you say: " Most of his problems have been brought on by his pride and overconfidence." I would only add that Most of his success in cars and in space travel have been brought on by his pride and overconfidence. How many people are there in the entire world that have created the applied cutting edge technologies to real world and even other worldly ideas, innovations and accomplishments? Elon is brilliant, but he is of course, merely human.
Based on the comments I’m reading to this article most people seem to think of Mr. Musk as just another egotistical maniacal entrepreneur - it’s as if the short sellers are here reading the Times and piling on. So negative and painfully unsympathetic. Mobs of small people trying to bring down a giant among us, like ants on an injured wildebeest.
I applaud the authors’ attempt to to present a factual, unbiased, source backed article. Unfortunately it’s also dry, disjointed, lacking enough of a back story: The magnitude of the technologically complex challenges Mr. Musk has taken on cannot be over stated. Making commercial space exploration and travel a reality, fast forwarding electric cars, realizing the potential of electric storage with power walls, exploring underground transportation) Through his companies Mr. Musk is trying to bend the arch of human history away from self-destruction.
Elon Musk’s ability to do all this is the result of rare, incredible drive and self-motivation - powers that have made his accomplishments possible are also threatening to kill him.
What he desperately needs now is someone to turn those F9 rockets he has strapped on to himself off and do whatever it takes to force him to rest. Move at only human speeds for a while.
We failed to get stubborn Steve Jobs to get proper treatment for pancreatic cancer on time. Will we fail again with Musk? Does he also carry the seeds of his own destruction?
Support him, not tear him down, pls.
8
I guess you can't feel sorry for the billionaire class. You reap what you sow.
4
A guy who overworks like crazy on EVs and space exploration and then tweets late at night.
A guy who watches Fox News all day to hear himself praised and plots on how to take revenge on honest public servants and then tweets late at night.
I'll take the first guy any day.
4
Dear Elon, I’ve sold my health to earn money to live better, too. Only to have to use all my money to regain my health; discovering I had never lived. I’ve never seen a hearse with a trailer hitch. You can’t take it with you. Love, Scott
3
Sounds like he's teetering on the edge. He is sleep-deprived, isolated, and depressed. Forget the business, he needs psychiatric counseling.
3
1840s - Morphine induced macabre verses (Poe). 1980s-2010 - alcohol fueled drunk dialing (Moi! Toi, aussi?). 2018 - Ambien "read the side effects" tweeting (Rosanne & Elon). Untreated LowT is preventative maintenance. Speaking from experience? Hahaha!
1
He should be apologizing to the engineers and other folks who put their faith in him, his company and his ability to disrupt the automobile industry. They are the true losers.
There is a difference between a self confidence that comes from having both substance and perception and an arrogance that is born from privilege and inherent power.
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@Meena, apologize? For what? Actually disrupting the automobile industry? How are they losing? He has employed 1000's of engineers working on cutting edge technology making probably the most highly desired car in the world.
I mean I would completely agree with your venomous attack if the company failed, but really? He has overcome incredible odds, overcome incredible manufacturing issues and is in line with the company's plan to reach profitability. How is that not substance? Arrogance and privilege are attributes of poor management. Poor management is the root cause of every failed company. Tesla is not failing.
@Meena I don't understand why he has to apologize to them. Are they not putting cars on the road that are being praised and loved? The fact that he said he may take the company private has no effect on the engineers, unless what you're suggesting is that it somehow is causing the company to tank. There's no evidence of this. Quite the opposite, the stock price went up.
@Meena Thank you on "There is a difference between a self confidence that comes from having both substance and perception and an arrogance that is born from privilege and inherent power."
Elon Musk comes from money and is not used to having to put up or shut up. He sits here crying about almost missing his brother's wedding in Catalonia?! There are folks who have to work due to needing to pay bills and miss funerals, weddings and births.
As stated before I have no sympathy for a inheritance case being upset that he has to work hard to make a business work, when people pulling themselves up by sheer force of will do it every day.
I for one am absolutely SICK of reading the name Elon Musk and his supposedly grand pronouncements. He's nothing but a publicity hound, like Trump. Good riddance to both of them!
5
I'd take him up on his offer to do his job if I thought there was any real chance of this being sincere.
I don't blame him his frustration. But I do believe he has lost sight of his good fortune. There are many talented people with good ideas, many of which are incompatible with what prevails as "good business". Most of them are unable to get out of the dreamer phase.
2
Dear Elon- Try thinking like a normal person in this society who deals with a wide spectrum of daily adversity, racism, health cioncerns, challenging financial realities, hardship and family. It is not likey that many mere mortals or most titans of the business world will understand your worldview with a level of deep empathy. People are over-saturated with egocentric “leaders” who see only themselves in the big mirror of life.
2
Elon Musk cast as another poor, exploited worker. Good one.
11
Reading comprehension needs to be improved in the US.
1
I am crying in my soy latte for this billionaire-in-crisis. How about the NYT sit down with the workers toiling at Tesla with energy drinks to meet demands and - as has been reported - raw sewage running through the place. The world's tinniest violin plays tonight for Musk. I call for a meditative moment of silence. Hey maybe us proles can crowdfund for his psychotherapy? Apparently we bought him an $8,000 couch? When wealth inequality here is so extreme that the UN is investigating the US, I am sure that the American people are deeply concerned for Musk's billions.
6
All about greed and ego There are so many more important matters to be concerned about
3