In a recent revelation, Bill Gates shared the moment when Elon Musk confronted him over his shorting of $1.5 billion worth of Tesla stock. Musk publicly criticized Gates in 2022 for shorting the company’s stock while promoting climate change action. This incident is detailed in a forthcoming biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson.
The confrontation took place at Musk’s Austin, Texas, plant during a meeting where Gates apologized for his decision to short Tesla stock, resulting in a significant financial loss. Despite Gates’ apology, Musk remained upset and reportedly displayed hostile behavior towards the Microsoft leader.
Gates had initially requested the meeting, to which Musk responded by stating that he didn’t have a scheduler or a personal assistant and advised Gates to have his secretary call him directly. However, Gates bypassed his secretary and arranged the meeting for March 9, 2022.
During their meeting at Musk’s factory in Austin, Gates admired the facility but the discussion between the two entrepreneurs remained contentious. When asked about his motivation for shorting the stock, Gates explained that he believed it could yield financial gains, a perspective that Isaacson found contrasting Musk’s views.
Gates also criticized Musk’s advocacy for solar energy as a solution for climate change and doubted the feasibility of batteries powering semi-trucks. Additionally, Gates expressed skepticism about Musk’s ambition to colonize Mars, stating that he does not share Musk’s enthusiasm for the idea.
The altercation between Gates and Musk drew comments from Grimes, Musk’s former partner, who described it as “a little bit of a d**k-measuring contest.” Gates, who is the world’s third richest person, had previously commented on Musk’s investment in Bitcoin, expressing concern about people being lured into speculative trends.
Furthermore, Gates had also made remarks questioning the viability of electric trucks like the Tesla Semi, which Musk had rebutted during an interview. The conversation on this topic also led to allegations that Gates had a significant short position on Tesla stocks, an assertion that Musk found perplexing.
The forthcoming book by Isaacson is anticipated to unveil more insights about Musk, providing a deeper understanding of his endeavors and interactions with other prominent figures.
