DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A robotaxi isn't enough to fix Tesla's problems, analyst says. Here's what Elon Musk needs to do.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Related storiesTesla's Full Self-Driving software beta, or FSD, is currently classified as "level two" in an industry standard that goes up to six. Musk has also talked up the value of a more affordable TeslaMusk has also touted the importance of a cheaper Tesla model for years. "This has always been our dream, from the beginning of the company," Musk said during Tesla's "Battery Day" presentation in 2020. As the lack of low-cost options turns some customers off from making the switch to EV vehicles, Tesla has experienced decreased demand. With the ongoing issues surrounding Tesla's margins and demand, the analysts said Musk needs to "regain confidence in the eyes of the Street."

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk, It's, Apple, Didi, Martin Eberhard, Eberhard Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters, Teslas, Baidu, Tesla, Tesla's Locations: Los Angeles, Bay, California, China

☆ Ousted Tesla cofounder says a canceled $25,000 car could give China 'a chance to really spread'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard expressed disappointment over a report of Tesla canceling its $25,000 EV plans. AdvertisementTesla cofounder Martin Eberhard said a report that the electric-car maker has canceled a $25,000 EV could give China a boost. The billionaire also said Tesla plans to unveil its first robotaxi later this year. The carmaker has been facing pressure from EV companies in China, including BYD, which has been vying with Tesla for the title of top EV seller . Earlier this week, the Tesla CEO said "Chinese car companies are by far the most competitive."

Persons: Tesla, Martin Eberhard, Elon Musk, Eberhard's, —, Eberhard, Musk, Nicolai Tangen, Eberhard butted Organizations: Service, HSBC Global Investment, Reuters, Elon, Norges Bank Investment Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ Elon Musk's former trust and safety chief at X says Musk had 'more emotion behind his decisions' than she expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A former exec at X, previously Twitter, says Elon Musk was at times more impulsive than she expected. Ella Irwin told NBC News there was "more emotion behind his decisions" than she anticipated. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementA former exec at X, previously known as Twitter, says there was at least one element of working with owner Elon Musk that surprised her. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen asked to give X CEO Linda Yaccarino advice about working with Musk, Yoel Roth, Irwin's predecessor, said, "You should be worried.

Persons: Elon Musk, Ella Irwin, Grimes, —, Musk, Irwin, Musk Irwin isn't, Linda Yaccarino, Yoel Roth, Irwin's, Roth, he's, Esther Crawford, Musk's, Crawford, Walter Isaacson, Ron DeSantis, Isaacson, Jekyll, Mr, Hyde, Elon, Martin Eberhard Organizations: NBC News, Service, Twitter, SpaceX, The Boring Company

☆ A biographer spent years following Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. Here's how he says they're alike — and how they're different
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Sarah Jackson | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Walter Isaacson trailed Elon Musk for years and interviewed Steve Jobs over 40 times to write their biographies. Elon Musk's biographer, Walter Isaacson, once said that the Tesla CEO was "in some ways the Steve Jobs of our time." AdvertisementAdvertisementBoth Musk and Jobs had a "dark streak""When I was reporting on Steve Jobs, his partner Steve Wozniak said that the big question to ask was 'Did he have to be so mean? AdvertisementAdvertisementIsaacson said Steve Jobs (left) took on the role of "alpha male" at Apple and "marginalized" his cofounder Steve Wozniak (right). "As much as I think Steve Jobs is a total genius, Steve Jobs would design a product, be it the Mac or the iPhone, and then it would be thrown over the wall to some manufacturing facility in China or something.

Persons: Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, —, Elon Musk's, Tesla, Jobs, Isaacson, Musk, Steve Wozniak, Grimes, " Isaacson, didn't, Kimberly White, Wozniak, Martin Eberhard, Tom Mueller, It's, Frederic J . BROWN, Musk's, Franz von Holzhausen Organizations: Service, Apple, Jobs, Twitter, SpaceX, Getty, Wall Street, Tesla, Economic, of New Locations: AFP, China, of New York

☆ X CEO slams claims she's CEO in name only as 'not nice;' 'Who wouldn't want Elon Musk sitting by their side running product?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

X CEO Linda Yaccarino slammed questions on whether she's running the company as "not nice." The X CEO took the stage shortly after an ex-Twitter staffer spoke on his negative experience at the company. AdvertisementAdvertisementX CEO Linda Yaccarino slammed claims she's watching Elon Musk run the social media company from the sidelines in an openly tense dialogue about working with the famously controlling billionaire. I don't care what the structure is at Meta, but who wouldn't want Elon Musk sitting by their side running product?" Before joining X, Yaccarino served as chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships at NBCUniversal.

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk, —, she's, Yaccarino, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Boorstin, Mark Zuckerberg, Walter Isaacson, Tesla, Martin Eberhard, Tim Higgins, he's, Elon, Kara Swisher's, Yoel Roth, Swisher . Roth, Musk, Insider's Kali Hays, Lara O'Reilly Organizations: Twitter, Service, Vox's, Meta Locations: Meta, NBCUniversal

☆ Elon Musk 'associates love with being mean or abusive,' Grimes told biographer Walter Isaacson
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Grace Kay | Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Elon Musk "associates love with being mean or abusive" Grimes told Musk's new biographer. AdvertisementAdvertisement"When you're from a dysfunctional background or have a brain wired like his," Wilson told Isaacson, "intensity takes the place of intimacy." AdvertisementAdvertisementIn 2017, Musk's mother, Maye Musk, told Rolling Stone that Errol Musk was "a terrible human being," and in 2019, she told Harper's Bazaar that their marriage was abusive. AdvertisementAdvertisement"He has numerous minds and many fairly distinct personalities," she told Isaacson, according to the book. "When we hang out, I make sure I'm with the right Elon," she told Isaacson.

Persons: Elon Musk, Grimes, Musk's, Elon, Walter Isaacson, Errol Musk, He's, Claire Boucher, Isaacson, Amber Heard, Heard, Musk, Elon Musk Musk's, Justine Wilson, Wilson, —, Maye Musk, Stone, Harper's, he'd, Tesla, Martin Eberhard Organizations: Service, Elon, Wired Locations: Wall, Silicon, African

☆ Elon Musk's biographer saw him fly into 'demon mode.' It's hard to watch — but it also gets stuff done, he says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Walter Isaacson said Elon Musk could be "brutal" and would go into "demon mode" at times. She told him that while it can be "unpleasant" to be around Musk when he's in demon mode, it's also the mode that "gets shit done." Isaacson said he attributed Musk's "dark streak" and his willingness to take risks to his relationship with his father, Errol Musk. Errol Musk denied he contributed to Musk's "dark streak" in an emailed statement to Insider, saying that "these days Elon and I are on fairly good terms." Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard previously told Insider that Musk used to scream at him over press coverage on Tesla.

Persons: Walter Isaacson, Elon, Musk, Elon Musk, Isaacson, Grimes, Musk's, it's, Claire Boucher, Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, " Isaacson, Theo Wargo, Jekyll, Mr, Hyde, he'd, Errol Musk, Gianliuigi Guercia, he's, Maye Musk, Stone, Maye, Gotham, Tesla, Martin Eberhard, Tim Higgins Organizations: Twitter, SpaceX

☆ Tesla and Elon Musk sued by shareholders over Autopilot safety risks after a $38 billion drop in market value, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla shareholders are suing the EV maker and its CEO Elon Musk over its claimed self-driving capabilities. Tesla's self-driving technology is suspected to be the cause of several high-profile accidents, which have forced recalls by regulators. That coincided with a 5.7% drop in its stock price, equivalent to a $38.6 billion drop in market value for the company. According to Reuters, shareholders argued that the drop in stocks was one of several instances where shareholder value was harmed by the company's self-driving claims. Scrutiny has grown on self-driving technology in recent months, with Tesla's own cofounder Martin Eberhard calling it "crap."

☆ Elon Musk accuses Ralph Nader of 'lying' over claims he took 'taxpayers to the cleaners' with Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk accused Ralph Nader of lying after claiming he took "taxpayers to the cleaners" with Tesla. Nader, 88, accused Musk of taking "taxpayers to the cleaners for his factories and for Starlink. Musk responded: "Ralph Nader, you are lying – shame on you! I personally provided almost all Tesla funding, based on my proceeds from PayPal." Musk added in his tweet to Nader that the "first meaningful government funding" Tesla received was in the second quarter of 2010.

☆ See the second car Tesla made: an orange-striped Roadster with 'Mr. Tesla' plates that may be worth more than $200,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard owns three Teslas, including a Roadster he drives every day. Eberhard said he owns the second Tesla Roadster ever made. "I've been driving my Roadster continuously since I bought it," Eberhard told Insider in an interview. He also sent another Tesla Roadster into space on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The Tesla cofounder said he occasionally takes the Roadster out for car shows, including the annual Roadster Rally.

☆ Tesla's first CEO says Elon Musk never replied to a congratulatory note he sent — and hasn't spoken to him in 14 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Martin Eberhard said he sent Elon Musk a note after SpaceX's first rocket launched into orbit. The Tesla cofounder said he never heard back from Musk and hasn't spoken to him in about 14 years. "I actually sent him a congratulatory note when his first rocket successfully made it to space, but I got no reply." The Tesla cofounder has said Musk forced him out of the company and had Tesla's board vote him out as CEO behind his back in 2007. About two years later, after Musk started calling himself a Tesla founder, Eberhard sued Musk, alleging libel and slander.

☆ Tesla cofounder's advice to EV startups: Don't try to be Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard says EV companies shouldn't try to compete head-on with Tesla. He said EV startups should try to find their own market and avoid launching Tesla-like models. "My advice to anybody who wants to get into the EV space now is don't try to compete head-on with Tesla," Eberhard told Insider in an interview. Lucid confirmed that Eberhard worked at the startup for a short period in 2015 but declined to comment on his departure. After leaving Tesla, Eberhard served for about two years as the director of EV development at Volkswagen Electronics Research Laboratory.

☆ Ex-Tesla CEO says the company's culture might be 'nicer' if he had stuck around: 'I'm not into random firings'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard said the carmaker's company culture might be "nicer" if he'd stayed. He said he's not into "random firings," a practice Musk has denied engaging in in the past. "I'm a believer of treating employees with respect and I'm not into random firings and things like that," Eberhard told Insider in an interview. Eberhard previously told Insider that Musk and Tesla's board had met behind his back and had voted to replace him as CEO. Musk became Tesla's CEO in 2008 and has become virtually synonymous with the brand's image in recent years.

☆ Ousted Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard sounds off on Elon Musk, how the company has changed, and the EV wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

But Eberhard and Musk butted heads, and Musk ousted Eberhard from his CEO role in 2007. Musk said that Eberhard was holding up production of Tesla's first car, the Roadster, and that Eberhard was responsible for other operational issues. And the proof is for the first time ever in decades we built a car company successfully. "His behavior changed dramatically as soon as we started having press about Tesla," Eberhard said. Musk has said the company "is as much a software company as it is a hardware company."

☆ Elon Musk used to scream if he wasn't mentioned in an article about Tesla, the company's first CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard said Elon Musk used to "scream" if he was not cited in Tesla stories. Musk didn't return requests for comment. In an interview with Insider, Eberhard said he and Musk were "congenial" until his last few months at the company. "His behavior changed dramatically as soon as we started having press about Tesla," Eberhard told Insider in an interview. He previously told Insider that Musk and Tesla's board met behind his back and voted to replace him as CEO.

☆ Tesla cofounder says he was 'basically unemployable' and out of money for 2 years after being ousted from the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Tesla cofounder said he was out of money and "basically unemployable" after he left the carmaker. Martin Eberhard was ousted as CEO of Tesla by Elon Musk and left the company in 2007. "After I left Tesla, I was basically unemployable for about two years because of the intellectual-property agreement I had with Tesla and with Tesla being as litigious as they are," Eberhard told Insider. The Tesla cofounder lost his role as CEO of Tesla about three years after Elon Musk began investing in the electric-car maker. Eberhard previously told Insider that Musk and Tesla's board had met behind his back and voted to replace him as CEO.

☆ Tesla cofounder calls Autopilot and FSD software 'crap' that could risk the carmaker's future
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard said he's "not a big fan" of autonomous cars. The Tesla cofounder said it's a "mistake to think of a car as a software platform." The Lotus Elise was a two-seater convertible that the British car company Lotus Cars first sold in 1996. The Tesla cofounder said that while he appreciates "safety-oriented systems" like driver-assist features, he's "not a big fan" of autonomous driving. Last year, the billionaire said the carmaker's self-driving software is the difference between Tesla being worth a lot of money and Tesla being worth almost nothing.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTesla's founders on Elon Musk and the early daysElon Musk is the most famous CEO of Tesla, but he's not the company's founder. The original executives, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, founded the company in 2003. CNBC sat down with them to talk about the idea for Tesla Motors, the battery, Elon Musk and building its first car, the all-electric Roadster.

☆ Elon Musk slams Tesla founder Martin Eberhard in response to a tweet about the company's origin: he 'could have risked his money, but was unwilling to do so'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Eberhard told Insider Musk's comments on Tesla's history were "typical" of the billionaire. "Not one sentence of that tweet is true," Eberhard told Insider. In 2009, Eberhard sued Musk, alleging libel and slander because Musk started calling himself Tesla's founder. "I was thinking that I should do what every guy does and buy a sports car," Eberhard told Insider in 2014. Eberhard told Baer it was the first time he butted heads with Musk.

☆ Elon Musk slams Tesla founder Martin Eberhard in response to a tweet about the company's origin: He 'could have risked his money, but was unwilling to do so'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Eberhard once sued Musk, alleging libel because Musk said he's a Tesla founder. Eberhard told Insider that Musk's comments on Tesla's history were "typical" of the billionaire. "Not one sentence of that tweet is true," Eberhard told Insider. In 2009, Eberhard sued Musk, alleging libel and slander because Musk started calling himself Tesla's founder. "I was thinking that I should do what every guy does and buy a sports car," Eberhard told Insider in 2014.

☆ Twitter tells worried employees their vested shares will be paid in coming days
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

After Elon Musk closed his $44 billion purchase of Twitter last week, employees at the company braced for job cuts. Some told CNBC they were worried about losing their equity compensation if Musk sent them packing before their shares vested the first week of November. Musk and Tesla have been sued repeatedly over employees' claims that they were fired just before their shares vested, depriving them of compensation. However, it appears that the current tranche of stock-based compensation for many Twitter employees, who were there before Musk took over, will get paid out after all. The former Tesla employees won, but the electric vehicle maker was able to overturn the decision later on appeal.

Search resuls for: "Martin Eberhard"

21 mentions found