Elon Musk: The Recode Interview

From recode, Nov 2:

Musk talks most his “excruciating” 2018, fighting alongside journalists on Twitter, why Tesla won’t cook an electrical scooter in addition to much more.

I’ll endure honest, I receive got been electronic mail haranguing Tesla in addition to SpaceX founder in addition to CEO Elon Musk for months most talking to me in addition to today on Recode Decode, nosotros receive got a special interview alongside ane of the most loved, oftentimes controversial in addition to to a greater extent than oftentimes than non most talked-about figures inwards tech.

On Halloween night, nosotros sat downward at Tesla HQ inwards Palo Alto for an 80-minute conversation most how those companies are faring, why he was working 120-hour weeks, his populace animosity for the press, Donald Trump’s Space Force, accepting coin from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in addition to more. 

Also on the menu: Musk’s rabid fans on Twitter, dying on Mars, a Tesla pickup truck that volition await similar something out of “Blade Runner” in addition to speak of an electrical bike in addition to VTOL bird — but not a Tesla scooter because those “lack dignity,” apparently.

There is ane query I forgot to inquire — whether he idea he should remain CEO of Tesla after a twelvemonth of terrible errors in addition to why he thinks he deserves that job. But he answered that inwards many indirect ways here, presenting a to a greater extent than rested, happier in addition to inwards command entrepreneur who seems to endure undaunted yesteryear his troubles. 

My favorite response showed he did sympathise those issues in addition to his “self-inflicted wounds”: “Yeah, there’s no query there’s, like, self-inflicted wounds. In fact, my blood brother said, “Look, if you lot produce a self-inflicted wound, tin you lot at to the lowest degree non twist the knife afterwards?” You stabbed yourself inwards the leg. You don’t actually demand to twist it inwards your leg. Why produce that?”

Why indeed? 

Take a listen:

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Kara Swisher: I’m hither alongside Elon Musk at the headquarters of Tesla. We’re gonna speak most Tesla, we’re gonna speak most SpaceX, we’re gonna speak most this year, we’re gonna speak most The Boring Company, in addition to anything else Elon wants to speak about, because people similar to hear you lot talk.

Using Twitter without a filter

Let’s start from the beginning, most this year. You’ve given some real interesting interviews. You’ve gotten on Twitter, made some mistakes.

Elon Musk: What’s Twitter?

What’s Twitter? Okay, let’s start alongside Twitter. I receive got an obsession alongside Twitter, too, in addition to an addiction. What happens alongside you lot in addition to Twitter?

Well, I tweet interesting things pretty much every bit they come upward to me, in addition to in all likelihood alongside non much of a filter.

And why?

I detect it entertaining. I think, “Oh, other people mightiness detect this entertaining.” Sometimes they do.

Just at night? What are you, at dwelling you’re doing this?

Yeah. Mostly at home. I pass a lot less fourth dimension on Twitter than people in all likelihood think. It’s similar mayhap 10-15 minutes or something.

Yeah, good people pay attending when you lot produce that.

Yeah. It’s pretty interesting what my most ... What people are most interested in, similar some piffling tweet most “I beloved anime.” That was it. But it was lowercase “i”, dark heart, “anime,” in addition to people loved that. That was similar ane of my most pop tweets.

What most the things they didn’t love? Are you lot nether strict orders non to produce that? Is that correct? Will you lot be? Will you lot receive got to modify your Twitter behavior?

Not really. I mean value it’s mostly only if it’s something that mightiness motility a substantial motility inwards the stock during trading hours. That’s most it.

Do you lot consider it a communications medium? How produce you lot await at it?

I await at it every bit a agency to larn things, kinda remain inwards impact alongside what’s happening. It feels similar dipping into the catamenia of consciousness of society. That’s what it feels like. It’s kinda weird. I gauge I sometimes role Twitter to limited myself, in addition to that’s a weird affair to do, I suppose.

Not thence much. It isn’t. Sometimes it’s real funny, other times it’s non thence funny.

Some people role their pilus to limited themselves. I role Twitter.

Picking fights alongside the press

You alternative fights alongside the press over Twitter, in addition to thence you lot receive got all your fans, of which at that topographic point are many. Are you lot aware of what they produce ane time you lot start them off?

Well, I receive got to say, my regard for the press has dropped quite dramatically.

Explain that, please.

The total of untruthful materials that is written is unbelievable. Take that Wall Street Journal front-page article about, like, “The FBI is closing in.” That is utterly false. That’s absurd. To impress such a falsehood on the front end page of a major paper is outrageous. Like, why are they fifty-fifty journalists? They’re terrible. Terrible people.

I acquire that, but produce you lot sympathise the mood inwards this soil around the press in addition to the dangers of attacking, peculiarly when the president is doing that? In quite an aggressive, “enemy of the state” in addition to everything else. It’s disturbing when mortal similar you lot every bit a leader does that, too, or goes along alongside it.

The reply is for the press to endure honest in addition to truthful, in addition to enquiry their articles in addition to right things properly when they are false. Which they don’t do.

Okay. But I’m bespeak if you lot sympathise where it goes to.

Yes, of course of report I do.

What produce you lot mean value of that? Are you lot worried most unleashing a unsafe bike that a lot of the press are worried about? Justifiably.

I advise the press convey it to pump in addition to produce better.....

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