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☆ Meta's Threads struggles to grow amid rivalry with Elon Musk's X, ranking ahead of only Tumblr
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Meta's Threads real-time messaging app is struggling to attract new users like it did during its blockbuster July debut. Insider Intelligence said it expects Threads to have 23.7 million U.S. users in 2023, far behind Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, which have 177.9 million, 135.2 million and 102.3 million users, respectively. When Threads debuted, it rapidly gained millions of users due in part to its easy sign-up process for existing Instagram users. "Threads received an initial boost from Twitter's missteps, but it can't rely on X defectors to continue to grow," Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jasmine Enberg said in a statement. "Assuming Musk doesn't backtrack, the move will likely alienate more X users and potentially increase advertiser interest in Threads," Enberg added.

Persons: Meta, Elon Musk, Jasmine Enberg, Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Enberg, Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok Organizations: Intelligence, Facebook, Insider Intelligence, Tesla, Israeli, CNBC

☆ Elon Musk might be the internet's worst boyfriend. At least that's what it seems like in his new biography.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Elon and I were used to having big arguments in public," Musk's first wife, Justine Wilson, told Isaacson. AdvertisementAdvertisementWilson told Isaacson, the book's author, that Musk sometimes resorted to calling her "an idiot" or "moron" in arguments. Variety/Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Grimes told Isaacson that she feels the billionaire "associates love with being mean or abusive." "It was Elon's Asperger's coming out in full," Grimes told Isaacson. Musk's second wife, Talulah Riley, told Isaacson that when her close friend died, he flew to England to be with her.

Persons: Elon, it's, Grimes, Walter Isaacson's, Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk's, Justine Wilson, Isaacson, Wilson, Marie Claire, Musk, Claire Boucher, Amber Heard, Asperger's, I'd, he's, Talulah Riley, Mike Blake, Shivon, Zilis, X, Riley, Heard Organizations: Service, SpaceX, Variety, PayPal Locations: Wall, Silicon, Texas, Grimes, England

☆ Elon Musk is 'a jerk' and 'not caring' – but shares some traits with Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, his biographer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk is a "jerk," his biographer Walter Isaacson told Quartz. He also drew comparisons between Musk, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos' "hardcore" leadership styles. Isaacson told Quartz that "caring and emotional" executives could hold back a company because "they aren't going to fire people, they aren't going to be tough, they aren't going to be rough." The author compared Musk with Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos and said they'd also taken a "hardcore" approach to running Microsoft and Amazon. The biographer, who followed Musk for two years, told CNBC in July he " does not have a fingertip feel" for emotions.

Persons: Elon, Walter Isaacson, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, it's, Isaacson, they'd, Gates, Rishi Sunak, didn't, Musk, Elon Musk didn't Organizations: Service, Microsoft, CNBC, Financial, Twitter, Elon Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Elon Musk's biographer says the billionaire buying Twitter was 'insane' because he 'doesn't have empathy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk's biographer told the FT buying Twitter, now X, was "insane." Walter Isaacson made the comments in an interview about his book "Elon Musk," which was released on Tuesday. "Everything was going so well that [Musk] became uncomfortable," Isaacson told the FT. "He doesn't like things when they are going well. "It's not like I need to be richer," Musk told him. The musician Grimes, with whom Musk has three children, told Isaacson that the billionaire's lack of empathy could be related to his Asperger's diagnosis.

Persons: Elon Musk's, Walter Isaacson, it's, Elon, Elon Musk, Musk, Isaacson, Elon Musk Isaacson, he's, execs, Grimes Organizations: Twitter, Service, Financial Times, Time, SpaceX, Tesla, Elon Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Mark Zuckerberg calls off Elon Musk cage match: 'If Elon ever gets serious ... he knows how to reach me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Zuckerberg is tired of waiting around for his cage match with Elon Musk. "I offered a real date. [UFC president] Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity," Zuckerberg posted on Threads, the Twitter rival whose creation started the beef in the first place. "If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me." Musk doesn't want Zuckerberg to have the upper hand in the when, where and how this fight happens."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, Dana White, Elon, Musk, Walt Mossberg, Musk texted Zuckerberg, Dan Ives, that's, Warren Buffett Organizations: Elon, Facebook, UFC, Twitter, Meta, CNBC, Wedbush Securities Locations: Italy, Rome

☆ Elon Musk doesn't care that Tesla values are tanking — but it could drive buyers to Ford and GM
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Used Tesla values are down 30% year-over-year, according to firm Recurrent. Used Tesla values have dropped dramatically from last year as the company continues to slash prices and flood the market with more new cars. That's because resale value hasn't been the biggest priority for Tesla buyers so far. There are a few reasons for that: Tesla buyers are loyal to the company. The Tesla dynamics benefit more EV-buyersIn the meantime, Tesla is forcing the EV market to become more affordable for mainstream buyers — a noticeable impact especially in the used EV space.

Persons: Tesla, Liz Najman, Tesla's, It's, Stephen Beck, Beck, Martin French, Najman Organizations: Morning, Elon, EV Locations: EVs

The Bolt does not align with GM's long-term EV technology strategy, but it is the Detroit automaker's best-selling and most affordable EV in North America, by far. Barra and GM officials did not say how much the new Bolt would cost or where it would be built. For GM, the Bolt has been the mainstay for its North American EV sales. In the first six months of this year, U.S. Bolt sales totaled 33,659 vehicles, outselling Ford's Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and other EVs from established automakers. Bolt sales rebounded this year after GM was forced to halt production of the car for nearly six months to fix problems linked to battery fires.

Persons: Rebecca CooK, Mary Barra, Barra, Sam Fiorani, EVs, Sandy Munro, Elon Musk, Fiorani, Bolt, Paul Lienert, Joseph White, Nick Zieminski Organizations: North American, REUTERS, General Motors, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Chevrolet, Detroit, GMC Hummer EV, GM, AutoForecast Solutions, Barra, Bolt, Munro & Associates, UAW, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, North America, United States, Ohio, Michigan, Orion, Detroit

☆ Elon Musk's stress-tests: The Tesla CEO has an approach for picking leaders and sussing out anyone 'bullshitting' him, biographer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walter Isaacson said Elon Musk uses multiple tactics when it comes to selecting leaders. He also likes to use skip-level meetings to chat with workers lower on the corporate ladder, Isaacson said. Elon Musk has a special intuition or "neural network" when it comes to picking leaders at his companies, the billionaire's biographer Walter Isaacson said. The biographer said Musk is likely to use skip-level meetings during big projects or ahead of major company events, like a SpaceX Starship test. Musk and spokespeople for SpaceX and Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk, Isaacson, Musk, Zilis —, —, Linda Yaccarino, hasn't, it's, CNBC's, he's, Tesla Organizations: Morning, SpaceX, Twitter, Tesla

☆ Tesla's Cybertruck is finally starting production, 2 years behind schedule. Here are 6 other projects Elon Musk promised to deliver by now.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Tesla's Cybertruck is finally beginning production two years behind schedule. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been known to make lofty promises that go undelivered for years at a time. In 2017, Inverse reported, Musk expanded the promise, assuring buyers that it would be just two more years before self-driving Teslas could be used to travel cross-country while passengers sleep. An 'everything' social media app, XIn late 2022, Musk tweeted that his purchase of Twitter was an "accelerant" to the creation of 'X,' the "everything app." According to the same CNBC article, in its most productive year, 2022, Tesla only installed an average of 21 solar system installations per week.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Tesla, Musk, Musk's, Will Organizations: Tesla, CNBC, Boring Company, SpaceX, Twitter, University of Cincinnati Locations: Giga , Texas, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Southern California

☆ Elon Musk doesn't have a natural feel for empathy or emotions, says his biographer who's followed him for three years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walter Isaacson commended Elon Musk's engineering abilities, but suggested he lacks empathy. Isaacson made the comments on CNBC's Squawk Box, discussing his upcoming biography of Musk. Walter Isaacson, whose upcoming biography about Elon Musk is expected in September, said one of his takeaways from three years of observing the voluble executive is that he may lack empathy. He repeated the idea on CNBC's Squawk Box. In the segment, Isaacson also addressed recent headlines about Musk, including a purported cage match with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Persons: Walter Isaacson, Elon, Isaacson, Elon Musk, Grimes, Musk's, Mark Zuckerberg, Kali Hays, Musk, Musk's Tesla Organizations: Twitter, Meta, Autism, for Disease Control, SpaceX

☆ Zuck aims a killer blow at Musk outside the cage with Meta's new Threads Twitter clone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Aside from surreal cage fight plans, Zuckerberg wants to displace Twitter with a clone called Threads. The timing is perfect: Twitter is in disarray and the Meta chief is ready to capitalize on the chaos. Zuckerberg is set to bring his Twitter killer, Threads, out into the wild this week, with pre-orders for the "text-based-conversation" service going live on Monday. What the new Threads app looks like. If Musk doesn't get Twitter back into shape soon, he'll be a loser in the virtual arena too.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, Elon, Sydney Bradley, Nick Bilton, Musk, He's, he'll Organizations: Elon, Twitter, Sydney, New York Times, mojo

☆ Elon Musk just told Tesla staff he wants to personally approve all new hires. Here's a look into his management style at Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX over the years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk told Tesla staff in an email that he wants to personally sign off on all new hires. Here's a closer look at Musk's unconventional style of management and leadership at Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX. Musk told Tesla staff in the memo that he wants to personally approve all new hires. But in 2018, current and former Tesla employees told CNBC that Musk's micromanagement cost the company time and money. The same year, Tesla employees told Insider that Musk could be demanding and unpredictable.

☆ Elon Musk says Tucker Carlson will be subject to Twitter's fact-checking force, Community Notes. This might be a problem for a TV host whose record on Snopes isn't exactly the cleanest.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Elon Musk responded by saying anything misleading would be flagged by community notes. Tucker Carlson is moving his show from a traditional broadcasting outlet to Twitter where he will be subject to the social media platform's fact-checking force, Community Notes. The TV host's history of making untrue statements is well documented on third-party fact-checking sites such as Politifact and Snopes. Not every piece of misleading or false information on the platform is publicly marked by a Community Note. When enough people from different points of view rate a note as "helpful," the Community Note will appear, according to Twitter.

☆ Elon Musk earned a spot at the Museum of Failure, which listed 14 reasons including the strange names he gave 2 of his kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk earned a spot at the Museum of Failure in Brooklyn, which listed 14 reasons. According to the Museum of Failure, there's no such thing as innovation without a few bumps along the way. That's something Elon Musk is familiar with, and has earned him a spot at the museum for 14 reasons, which include the unusual names he gave two of his kids: X AE A-XII and Exa Dark Sideræl, who also now goes by Y. The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire us to take meaningful risks," it says on its website. The museum is in Brooklyn until June 18 and has previously been on display in cities including Calgary, Canada and Taipei, Taiwan.

☆ Elon Musk says AI is 'dangerous technology' and needs regulating to ensure it's 'operating within the public interest'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

His comments were prompted by an investor asking whether AI could help Musk make cars. "We should need some kind of regulatory authority or something, overseeing AI development and making sure it's operating within the public interest." Musk described AI as "quite a dangerous technology" in his response to the investor, adding he feared he "may have done things to accelerate it." People have been using it for side hustles using the AI tool, while others have used it to write cover letters. Insider's Adam Rogers wrote about how ChatGPT, or other similar AI tools like Microsoft's Bing, are "bullshit engines" and why they shouldn't be trusted.

☆ How Elon Musk Ruined Tesla, Let Other Car Companies Catch up on EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"I feel stupid driving around with my brand-new Tesla Model Y," Mark told me. Tesla spent the past two decades defying expectations and disrupting the automotive industry, but in 2023 the once revolutionary car company did the seemingly unthinkable: It turned fanboys against it. But after years of rocketing ahead of legacy car companies' tech, the futuristic guts of Tesla's vehicles have started to go stale. Companies like Ford and Audi are changing their sales strategies to model Tesla's innovative direct-sales style. These companies have something Musk doesn't: nationwide networks of brick-and-mortar locations where customers can have their vehicles serviced and repaired.

☆ Elon Musk is working at Tesla for free after receiving his final stock options last month
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk doesn't draw a cash salary from Tesla because he's paid in stock options. He received the final block of options from his 2018 pay package last month, meaning he's now technically working for free. So without a cash salary or stock options, Musk isn't being paid to be Tesla's CEO right now – but don't feel too sorry for him. "The Plan designed and approved by the Board was not a typical pay package intended to compensate the ordinary executive for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a mature company." Read more: Elon Musk's lawyers are making closing arguments in a trial over his $56 billion pay package that could be decided as soon as today

☆ Tesla board member says Musk doesn't mind bankruptcy if a rival builds a better car: 'That's his philosophy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk remarked that he wouldn't mind Tesla going bankrupt, if this means a rival company builds a better car, according to a member of the firm's board. "I think that's his philosophy and Tesla's philosophy," said Mizuno, who was chosen to join the company's board in April 2020. Musk has previously said that the automaker could have gone bankrupt multiple times in its almost 20-year history. Investors question whether Musk is getting distracted, at a time when Tesla faces increased competition, macroeconomic uncertainty and regulatory scrutiny. Nevertheless, Mizuno backed Musk and suggested that he admired the tech magnate's tenacity.

☆ Ferrari CEO says Tesla's success was a 'wake up call' for the auto industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ferrari is an "emotional car" while Tesla is a "functional car," he said. Ferrari plans to unveil its first fully electric car in 2025, taking it to market in 2026. And Tesla certainly got things moving for the electrification of the automotive industry, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told Bloomberg. While investing in electric cars, it will "keep offering a mix of technology for as long as it's feasible. As "functional" electric cars, to use Vigna's words, become more and more popular, luxury automakers like Ferrari are getting ready to enter the market.

☆ Twitter cofounder says Elon Musk has undone positive changes that were made to the platform before his takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter cofounder Biz Stone said Elon Musk reversed positive changes on the site, per The Guardian. Stone said in the interview that Musk doesn't strike him as the right person to own Twitter. In an interview with The Guardian, Stone said he made advancements in morale and supervising content on Twitter after he rejoined the company in 2017. Twitter is experiencing financial difficulties, but Stone told The Guardian he thought the concept of the platform would survive. Twitter and representatives for Stone didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal US operating hours.

☆ Elon Musk questioned why Davos is 'even a thing,' and jokingly compared the annual meeting of the global elite to online forum 4Chan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk doesn't seem to like Davos very much at all. Musk this week questioned how the World Economic Forum is 'even a thing' and compared it to 4Chan. He said in December he wouldn't be attending the annual meeting because it "sounded boring." Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. He further insulted the forum on Monday and compared it to online message board 4Chan, which is well known for spawning baseless conspiracy theories.

☆ Elon Musk asked Twitter users whether he should stay on as CEO, but he'd already made up his mind to go
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk ran a poll asking Twitter users if he should step down as CEO and the majority said yes. Musk said that he'd abide by the results of the poll, though he's so far not commented on the outcome. By posing the stay-or-go question in an online poll, Musk is able to to portray himself as a magnanimous chief who listens to his constituents. In resigning his post by virtue of a vote, Musk can boost his personal wealth and return to his beloved car company under the guise of democratic leadership. Shares of Tesla rose on Monday after the Twitter poll results, though they ended the day largely unchanged, trading at just below $150.

☆ Twitter has given new square business badges to some of its staff, news outlets, and a close friend of Elon Musk — but not Musk himself
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter introduced a new square badge to show where company verified accounts are employed. At least 10 Twitter staff have the new badge, but Elon Musk doesn't. Musk himself, however, has not got a square badge, despite owning the company and spearheading the verification changes. Musk retweeted the official announcement for the feature, but is yet to address the poll which saw Twitter users vote for him to step down as CEO. The news outlet Bloomberg also has access to the square badge, which is currently being used for different sections of the outlet's coverage, but not individual journalists.

☆ Elon Musk continues to foster chaos at Twitter. It's a terrible playbook for leaders following an acquisition.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Shana Lebowitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Since buying Twitter, Elon Musk has conducted mass layoffs and reportedly ordered 84-hour workweeks. Musk's reign at Twitter, which began when he took ownership of the platform in late October, has been chaotic. Most Twitter employees would be able to get another job relatively easily. "If you're technical talent, you're still going to be in demand if you're good," said Steve Cadigan, who runs Cadigan Talent Ventures and previously worked on mergers and acquisitions at Cisco. Even though the self-dubbed chief twit's path isn't clear to observers, Cadigan said Musk typically knows what he's doing.

☆ College student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet said he started doing it years ago because he was a fan. Now the billionaire is threatening to sue him.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Grace Kay | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jack Sweeney said he started tracking Elon Musk's jet because he was a fan of the Tesla CEO. Over two years later, the billionaire is threatening to sue him after suspending his Twitter accounts. The 20-year-old has made headlines and even gotten job offers as a result of his jet-tracking accounts. "I don't mean any harm and that's never the intended purpose of the accounts," Jack Sweeney told Insider on Thursday. On Wednesday, Twitter suspended Sweeney's account that track's Musk's private plane as well as his personal account, and over 30 other jet-tracking accounts.

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