Elon Musk gave an interview to Bloomberg Information on Tuesday, showing remotely to an viewers on the Qatar Financial Discussion board in Doha. And whereas the billionaire oligarch has given loads of whiny and infantile interviews over time, his newest is among the most juvenile thus far.
Musk repeatedly insulted the interviewer for asking fully regular questions on his companies like Tesla and SpaceX, and he grew to become extraordinarily defensive when requested about his position in President Donald Trump’s authorities as the pinnacle of DOGE, the so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity. The billionaire oligarch even referred to as the interviewer, UK broadcaster Mishal Husain, an “NPC,” which means a non-playable character in a online game.
Musk began the interview completely indignant that Husain would ask him about what he was doing to “flip round” Tesla after gross sales have suffered across the globe. Musk answered “it’s already circled” after which fell silent as if that was ample as a proof. Tesla’s income plunged 71% final quarter, however Musk stored insisting that all the things was tremendous as a result of the inventory worth had recovered.
As Musk stored making an attempt to say that Tesla’s gross sales have been tremendous, Husain identified that the EV firm’s model had taken successful. She didn’t point out Musk’s Nazi-style salutes on Jan. 20, however that, alongside along with his position within the dismantling of the federal authorities, have triggered many individuals to place bumper stickers on their Tesla automobiles that say issues like, “I purchased this earlier than we knew Elon was loopy,” one thing Husain talked about.
“There are additionally people who find themselves shopping for it as a result of Elon’s loopy, or nevertheless they could view it,” Musk joked. “So sure, we’ve misplaced some gross sales maybe on the left, however we’ve gained them on the correct. The gross sales numbers at this level are sturdy. And we see no drawback with demand.”
Musk then went on to insist that Tesla inventory buying and selling at all-time highs meant his firm was in good condition and gross sales numbers have been superb, ending with “They’re tremendous. Don’t fear about it.”
It’s tough to clarify simply how juvenile Musk’s angle throughout the interview was to somebody who hasn’t seen the video, which is offered in its entirety on YouTube. The billionaire snarked a couple of choose who dominated in opposition to him as an “activist choose who’s cosplaying as a choose in a Halloween costume,” and whined about “activist traders” who didn’t permit him to run his firm like he needed, segueing into how he was constructing “hundreds of thousands and doubtlessly billions of humanoid robots.”
Musk additionally complained that he didn’t just like the questions Husain was asking, saying “now let’s transfer on” twice in fast succession as she tried to ask questions.
The billionaire typically gave one-word responses to questions he didn’t appear to love and paused for oddly lengthy durations after some questions, seemingly gazing into area as he’s typically identified to do. There was an particularly lengthy pause when Musk was requested about whether or not he regretted getting concerned in political work. He referred to the outrage over his destruction of the federal government as a “violent antibody response,” terminology he’s used earlier than.
“I’m not somebody who’s ever dedicated violence,” Musk stated. “And but, large violence was dedicated in opposition to my corporations. Large violence was threatened in opposition to me. Who’re these individuals? Why would they try this? How mistaken can they be? They’re on the mistaken aspect of historical past.”
Once more, Musk is the man who kicked off Trump’s second time period by giving two Nazi-style salutes, so he doesn’t actually have a leg to face on relating to the “proper aspect of historical past.” However the billionaire stated that it wasn’t simply the individuals who had attacked Tesla dealerships who must be afraid. He stated they have been going to jail and that anybody who “funded them and arranged them can even go to jail.”
Musk then made a dramatic pointing gesture on the display screen, seemingly speaking in regards to the Bloomberg journalist: “Don’t fear. We’re coming for you.” The road obtained an incredible snigger from the Musk-friendly crowd in Qatar, a rustic he visited final week as Trump’s buddy in oligarchy. Actually, Musk introduced a brand new Starlink contract in Saudi Arabia, and the Washington Submit has reported that international locations are being pressured to purchase Starlink companies in a few of the commerce offers which might be being negotiated.
When Tuesday’s interview obtained into the subject of Musk’s work within the authorities, together with the ways in which his corporations have benefited, he obtained much more defensive. Accessing the interior workings of the federal authorities has hypothetically offered Musk with a singular take a look at extremely proprietary data, the sort of issues which might be so secretive they’re particularly exempt from Freedom of Info Act requests. As a result of if a authorities contractor is aware of precisely what each the federal government is aware of and his rivals know, he has an incredible benefit.
Musk insisted that DOGE was simply an advisor to the federal government, incapable of taking unilateral motion or dictating to federal businesses what they need to do. “We’re not a dictator, we’re advisors,” Musk stated. That is contradicted by numerous issues Musk has stated publicly on X and in cupboard conferences. In late February, for instance, Musk stood as much as discuss in regards to the issues he was canceling and prompt that he alone will get to determine what will get funded. The billionaire was speaking about his cuts inside the context of all of the errors that had been made, acknowledging that he was making errors however they have been rectified.
“So for instance, with USAID, one of many issues we by chance canceled very briefly was Ebola prevention,” Musk stated on the February cupboard assembly. “I believe all of us need Ebola prevention. So we restored the Ebola prevention instantly. And there was no interruption. However we do want to maneuver rapidly if we’re to attain a $1 trillion deficit discount in monetary 12 months 2026.”
The issue is that Musk isn’t the one who must be making that decision. Congress allocates funds for packages, and Musk and his DOGE crew haven’t any proper to cancel issues unilaterally. The oligarch clearly is aware of that this mindset has gotten him into bother and is now simply mendacity about how issues are working behind closed doorways.
Musk was additionally requested Tuesday about his ideas on regulation of AI. The billionaire had reasonably infamously referred to as for extra regulation of AI and an entire pause on all analysis in 2023 whereas he was secretly engaged on his personal AI behind the scenes. Musk stated Tuesday that having too many rules “was a pure consequence of prosperity,” saying that, “this has occurred all through historical past.”
“When you have got an prolonged interval of prosperity with no existential warfare, there’s no cleaning perform for pointless legal guidelines and rules,” Musk stated. That’s clearly a reasonably unnerving factor for People to listen to once you do not forget that Musk is each the wealthiest man on the planet and an enormous protection contractor.
Musk additionally went on an extended tangent about how white individuals have been supposedly being persecuted in South Africa, a conspiracy idea that was thrust into the highlight when the AI chatbot Grok began responding to any random question on X with details about it. Musk claimed that he couldn’t get a license in South Africa to function his Starlink service, however Husain identified “that appears prefer it’s about to alter.” Musk pestered Husain about whether or not it “appeared proper” that he must be persecuted for his race as a white man, and Husain, who was not the one being interviewed, identified individuals needed to listen to his opinion, not hers.
“Why do you want racist legal guidelines?” Musk stated repeatedly as he interruptted Husain.
Requested about whether or not DOGE would actually lower $2 trillion in spending, because the numbers haven’t materialized regardless of the immense destruction of important scientific analysis and fundamental companies, Musk once more acted like a toddler, insisting that “your query is absurd.”
Musk went on to change into pissed off with questions on DOGE and referred to as Husain an “NPC” like different “typical journalists” and stated it was “like speaking to a pc.”
Musk was additionally requested about USAID and up to date feedback from Microsoft founder Invoice Gates, who criticized Musk for eliminating the company. Gates stated the cuts would value hundreds of thousands of lives, one thing backed up by analysis. Musk referred to as Gates a “liar” after which stated one thing in regards to the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein that’s tough to decipher.
“Who does Invoice Gates assume he’s to make feedback in regards to the welfare of kids on condition that he [unintelligible] Jeffrey Epstein?” Musk stated to applause. “I wouldn’t belief that man to babysit my youngsters.”
Musk stated that any “helpful” features of USAID had been transferred to the State Division, which is but once more not his option to make. The billionaire went on to insist that HIV/AIDS packages, which had been lower, have been truly going to proceed, one thing that merely wasn’t true.
Musk was additionally requested about his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and insisted he doesn’t converse with him. Requested about that, Musk stated, “I used to be on a video name with him about 5 years in the past,” although the Wall Avenue Journal reported in late 2024 that he had been in “common contact” with the Russian chief since 2022. Musk was aghast that his interviewer would consider one thing revealed within the Wall Avenue Journal, calling it “the worst newspaper on the planet.”
Once more, it’s actually value watching your complete interview if you wish to see simply how massive of a shitshow this was for Musk. However maybe we’re judging this interplay by older requirements. Given the best way that all the things appears to have gone fully off the rails within the period of Trump, perhaps that is simply our new regular and we have to count on it. It’s a miserable place to be as a rustic, that’s for certain. However Musk clearly isn’t going to begin appearing like an grownup anytime quickly.
