NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday he’s been working “as hard as he can… from morning till night, seven days a week” when asked about his recent Twitter acquisition and leadership . From the automaker Tesla (TSLA.O).
“I have a lot of work on my side, that’s for sure,” Musk said via video link at a business conference on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali.
Musk is the CEO of both companies and also runs the rocket company SpaceX, the brain chip startup Neuralink and the tunneling company Boring Company. He was wearing a batik shirt sent by the organizers, and appeared on the screen lit by candles, explaining that he was speaking from a place that had just lost his power.
Tesla investors are concerned that Musk, the acknowledged “nano manager” who has been personally involved in business-level decisions from vehicle design to supply chain issues, is being distracted at a critical time for the world’s largest electric car maker.
The value of Tesla’s shares has halved since early April, when he revealed he had acquired a stake in Twitter. And his sales of Tesla stock, including another $4 billion last week to reach $20 billion in Twitter-related sales, added to the pressure.
When asked about the complexity of “decoupling” industrial supply chains from China and the risks posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Musk returns to how busy he is.
In response to a remark that many business leaders in Asia want to be “Elon Musk of the East,” Musk said, “I’d be careful what you wish for. I’m not sure how many people want to be me. They want to be what they imagine me to be.” , which is not the same thing I actually am. The amount I torture myself is next level, honestly.”
[1/2] Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc. , shown on screens talking almost during the B20 summit, ahead of the G20 leaders summit, in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Wily Kurniawan
Musk also said he wanted to see Twitter support more videos and longer videos so that content creators could make a living on the platform, but did not provide details. His remarks were broadcast live on Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube.
Indonesia is trying to get a deal with Tesla on battery investment and possibly a deal for SpaceX to develop a rocket launch site.
Musk did not commit to either of those things, but said that Indonesia has a large role to play in the electric vehicle supply chain and that it would make sense “in the long run” for SpaceX to have multiple launch points around the world.
It was not clear where Musk was during the Bali event. His personal jet has been in Austin, Texas, Tesla’s headquarters since the weekend, according to ElonJet, a Twitter account that tracks the Gulfstream G650 mask.
“I’m just looking at this video and it’s so weird,” Musk said. “I’m sitting here in the dark surrounded by candles.”
Musk added that he believes the economy will transition to sustainable energy, adding that it is “only about how long that takes.” He said space exploration should remain a priority “so that we can understand the nature of the universe and our place in it”.
“Maybe we will find a strange civilization or discover civilizations that existed millions of years ago, but we see the ruins of ancient civilizations. I think that would be incredibly interesting,” he said.
(Reporting by Laika Kihara). Written by Kevin Crowley. Editing by Edwina Gibbs
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