Musk wants more control of Tesla as it moves into AI and robotics
TeslaMusk says he is ‘uncomfortable’ about building Tesla AI and robotics products without 25% voting control:
I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control. Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can’t be overturned. Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla. You don’t seem to understand that Tesla is not one startup, but a dozen. Simply look at the delta between what Tesla does and GM. As for stock ownership itself being enough motivation, Fidelity and other own similar stakes to me. Why don’t they show up for work?
Musk reduced his ownership stake in Tesla by selling billlions to fund his purchase of Twitter. Musk’s current £56 billion compensation package is ccurently being examined by Delaware Chancery Court to see if it was fair to shareholders.
I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control. Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can’t be overturned.
Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla. You don’t seem to understand…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 15, 2024
Ukrainian official: Musk ‘committed evil’ with Starlink ban
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak says that Musk switching off Starlink access to Crimea led to the deaths of civilians:
Sometimes a mistake is much more than just a mistake. By not allowing Ukrainian drones to destroy part of the Russian military (!) fleet via interference, @elonmusk allowed this fleet to fire Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities. As a result, civilians, children are being killed. This is the price of a cocktail of ignorance and big ego. However, the question still remains: why do some people so desperately want to defend war criminals and their desire to commit murder? And do they now realize that they are committing evil and encouraging evil?
Sometimes a mistake is much more than just a mistake. By not allowing Ukrainian drones to destroy part of the Russian military (!) fleet via #Starlink interference, @elonmusk allowed this fleet to fire Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities. As a result, civilians, children are…
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) September 7, 2023
Musk biography: Ex-Twitter CEO Agrawal lacked ‘leadership quality’
An excerpt from an upcoming Musk biography reports that, after meeting Twitter’s CEO Parag Agrawal for dinner in March 2022, Musk concluded that the CEO did not have leadership quality:
He’s a really nice guy. What Twitter needs is a fire-breathing dragon and Parag is not that.
Musk fired Agrawal shortly after he purchased the company.
Musk: Starship ‘ready to launch’
Reponding to a video posted on X by SpaceX, showing a “fully stacked” Starship on the launchpad at Boca Chica Starbase, Musk says Starship is ready for its second attempt at an orbital flight test, pending regulatory approval.
Starship is ready to launch, awaiting FAA license approval
Starship is ready to launch, awaiting FAA license approval https://t.co/WjENkdudo9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 6, 2023
The FAA says the launch licence application for Starship depends on various requirements being met, including reviews on policy, payload, safety, airspace integration, financial responsibility and environmental impacts.
The FAA will make a licence determination only after the agency is satisfied SpaceX meets all licensing, safety and other regulatory requirements.
Musk borrowed $1 billion from SpaceX in same month of Twitter deal
The Wall Street Journal reports that Musk borrowed $1 billion from SpaceX in October 2022, the same month he bought Twitter. The loan was backed by some of Musk’s SpaceX stock and Musk drew all of the funds down the same month. According to a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, as of March 2023, Musk is SpaceX’s largest shareholder with a 42% stake and almost 79% of its voting power. SpaceX had $4.7 billion in cash and securities on hand at the end of 2022.
Musk to sue ADL for £22 billion for ‘trying to kill’ X with false anti-semitism claims
In a series of tweets, Musk says he will sue the Anti-Defamation League for $22 billion, which he says is 60% in lost revenue, as a result of the organisation putting pressure on advertisers to stop using the platform with claims that Musk and X is anti-semitic.
To be super clear, I’m pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind. Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic. Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that’s what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter! If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the “Anti-Defamation” League. If they lose the defamation suit, we will insist that they drop the the “anti” part of their name, since obviously …
Musk later explains:
Advertisers avoid controversy, so all that is needed for ADL to crush our US & European ad revenue is to make unfounded accusations. They have much less power in Asia, so our ad revenue there is still strong. This “controversy” causes advertisers to “pause”, but that pause is permanent until ADL gives the green light, which they will not do without us agreeing to secretly suspend or shadowban any account they don’t like. That is the relationship they’ve had with X/Twitter for many years. Presumably, they have that with all western search or social media orgs.
Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that’s what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023
When told about a $10.5 million defamation fine awarded against ADL, Musk says that the organisation would be potentially liable for half of X’s revenue:
Interesting. In our case, they would potentially be on the hook for destroying half the value of the company, so roughly $22 billion.
Interesting.
In our case, they would potentially be on the hook for destroying half the value of the company, so roughly $22 billion.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023
Musk accused of ‘hijacking’ £5.5bn satellite deal
In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX demands the Commission “expeditiously review and rescind” a decision to green light a £5.5 billion merger between American company Viasat and Britain’s Inmarsat. SpaceX, which had unsuccesfully tried to block the takeover, claims Viasat is causing interference with its satellites and breaching its licensing conditions in a long-running row between the two companies. It says the regulator has “improperly” failed to consider its claims the first time and that the acquisition was “contrary to the public interest” because of Viasat’s “blatant disregard” for regulations. Viasat says the FCC had already found it “qualified to obtain licences” and that its rival’s latest assault was an attempt to “hijack” the takeover. It also accuses Musk of creating the risk of orbital collisions by launching thousands of small satellites.
These are old arguments that have been tried and failed before – the FCC expressly rejected them in clearing the acquisition. And they will certainly fail again. Our focus is on integrating Inmarsat’s assets and capabilities into the Viasat family to offer the innovative new services our customers want.
Musk booed by gamers chanting ‘Bring back Twitter’
When Musk is briefly shown on camera during the broadcast of the Valorant World Championship Final, the crowd of gamers boos, prompting a surprised reaction from the event’s announcers, who did not address Musk’s roughly four-second appearance on camera. The crowd then shouts “Bring back Twitter!. Organiusers:
Where is that from? That can’t be from in here, surely?
Musk later laughed off the incident, describing the booing crowd members as “unhinged leftists.”
Elon Musk getting booed at VALORANT Champs and the crowd starts chanting "bring back Twitter" lmao pic.twitter.com/lDoWse78YV
— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) August 26, 2023
Ramaswamy wants Musk as presidential advisor
At a Newton, Iowa, town hall, Ramaswamy says he wants Musk as an adviser if he becomes president. The candidate says he wants advisors who do not come from within government.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know better, Elon Musk recently, I expect him to be an interesting adviser of mine because he laid off 75% of the employees at Twitter. And then the effectiveness actually went up.
Musk: Cybertruck parts must have ‘sub 10-micron’ Lego-like accuracy
In a leaked email to Tesla employees, Musk says that the Cybertruck needs to be manufactured to single-digit micron tolerance due to its straight edges.
Due to the nature of Cybertruck, which is made of bright metal with mostly straight edges, any dimensional variation shows up like a sore thumb. All parts for this vehicle, whether internal or from suppliers, need to be designed and built to sub 10 micron accuracy. That means all part dimensions need to be to the third decimal place in millimeters and tolerances need be specified in single digit microns. If LEGO and soda cans, which are very low cost, can do this, so can we. Precision predicates perfectionism.
Elon
Crew-7 launches to ISS
Crew-7 successfully launches to the International Space Station, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on SpaceX’s Endurance Dragon spacecraft, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket. The crew includes: NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia’s space agency. Over 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations will take place during Crew-7’s mission of approximately six months in space. Experiments will include the collection of microbial samples from the exterior of the space station, the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an investigation of the physiological aspects of astronauts’ sleep. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson:
Crew-7 is a shining example of the power of both American ingenuity and what we can accomplish when we work together. Aboard station, the crew will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, all while benefitting humanity on Earth. By partnering with countries around the world, NASA is engaging the best scientific minds to enable our bold missions, and it’s clear that we can do more – and we can learn more – when we work together.
Musk blocks Woods after actor complains about block feature removal
Musk blocks Woods following his comments on the X CEO’s plans to remove the block feature from Twitter.
If @elonmusk removes the ability to block concerted harassment by trolls or organized political entities, how will “X” be any different from Jack Dorsey’s horrid Twitter? Musk, whom I once championed, is only doing this to protect his advertisers anyway. Users of X are mere pawns to turn the site into an electronic shopping mall. The man I thought was a defender of free speech is just another greedy capitalist. Disappointing, but not surprising.
To which Musk responds:
Then delete your account
Then delete your account
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2023
Woods then posts a screenshot showing that Musk has blocked him:
Your prerogative, sir, which is exactly my point. Have a nice day.
You prerogative, sir, which is exactly my point. Have a nice day. pic.twitter.com/qt8ZD3wbM9
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 20, 2023
Musk to remove headlines from news articles shared on X
Musk will remove headlines that are automatically generated as part of the preview image and text that appeasr when news organisations share articles to X. Anyone sharing a link on X—from individual users to publishers—would need to manually add their own text alongside the links they share on the service; otherwise the post will display only an image with no context other than an overlay of the URL. According to a source, the change is being pushed directly by Musk, to reduce the height of tweets and allow more posts to fit on screen. Musk also believes the change will help curb clickbait. Musk:
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 22, 2023
Musk: X may fail
Musk says that X may fail:
The sad truth is that there are no great ‘social networks’ right now. We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one.
The sad truth is that there are no great “social networks” right now.
We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 19, 2023
Musk says he will ‘delete’ X’s block feature
In response to a post asking if ‘there is ever a reason to block vs. mute someone,’ Musk says that he will delete the block feature from the app, except for DMs.
Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs. It makes no sense.
Later, a community note is added to Musk’s post, saying that the block feature cannot be removed as it is a required feature for social media apps sold on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
It makes no sense
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Twitter signs and equipment to be auctioned
In part due to its rebrand, X announces it is auctioning off a large number of Twitter-branded items, including the bird logo that was previously on the outside of the building. Other items for sale include sculptures, booths, chairs, computers, couches, musical equipment and artworks.
The auction, hosted by Heritage Global Partners, will start on September 12 at 7 a.m. PST and end on September 14 at 9 a.m. PST. All items have a starting bid of $25. They are all being sold out of X headquarters in San Francisco. According to HGP’s terms and conditions, buyers must use the items in their businesses and cannot purchase them for personal use.
Zuckerberg: Musk ‘isn’t serious’ about fight
On threads, Zuckerberg says Musk isn’t serious about the proposed cage fight:
I offered a real date. Dana White (UFC boss) offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead. If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.
Tesla China sells Cybertruck-inspired cat litter box
Tesla China lists (product link) a self-assembly “Cybertruck Multifunctional Corrugated Cat Litter” that includes a scratching board for cats. The cardboard box, branded ‘Tesla Life’, is made of thickened and moisture-proof corrugated paper, costs ¥89 RMB ($12 US), and is described as:
a futuristic shape, a semi-open cat litter, and thick corrugated paper embedded inside to meet the nature and daily needs of cats.
Neuralink raises $280 million from Founders Fund
Nuralink announces it has raised $280m from Founder’s Fund, a venture capital company established by Peter Thiel.
We’re happy to announce our $280M Series D round led by @foundersfund. We’re extremely excited about this next chapter at Neuralink.
We’re happy to announce our $280M Series D round led by @foundersfund. We’re extremely excited about this next chapter at Neuralink.
If you’d like to help make the first human experience incredible and work on engineering challenges to restore vision and mobility, come join!…
— Neuralink (@neuralink) August 7, 2023
Musk says he may need back surgery
In response to a post about Zuckerberg saying he has been waiting for a confirmation of the date for their fight (Zuckerberg says he suggested Aug 26th, but did not hear back), Musk says:
Exact date is still in flux. I’m getting an MRI of my neck & upper back tomorrow. May require surgery before the fight can happen. Will know this week,
Exact date is still in flux. I’m getting an MRI of my neck & upper back tomorrow.
May require surgery before the fight can happen. Will know this week.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2023