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Elon, Inc.

Elon, Inc.

144 episodes — Page 3 of 3

Elon Fights for His Pay Package… and With Altman... and Cook

On Thursday, Tesla—and Elon Musk—will face a vote of great emotional (if not legal) import: will shareholders approve, among other things, a measure to restore his $56 billion pay package? The one a Delaware judge threw out earlier this year? To get into what the vote means, we have Dana, Max and reporter Esha Day, who stuck around to tell us what’s happening with Tesla’s share price. It had flatlined earlier this year—but now it’s a bit more “boring.” Plus, a multifaceted feud watch! After Apple unveiled artificial intelligence integrations Monday, Musk took to X to rip the announcement, saying that if OpenAI were to go into Apple’s operating system, he would not let his employees bring iPhones to work. We shall see if he makes good on this!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 11, 202431 min

Introducing "Foundering: The OpenAI Story"

Foundering: The OpenAI Story is a narrative podcast that examines the rise of Sam Altman, from the time he was a 19-year-old startup founder, then the head of Y Combinator, and now the billionaire king of this AI boom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 6, 20242 min

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Elon and Trump

In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s felony conviction for fraud, his followers scrambled to be first to reaffirm their fealty to the twice-impeached Republican. But for some reason, Trump’s new status as a convict also was accompanied by a resurgence of stories about another right-wing figure—Elon Musk—and their warming relationship. Bloomberg has reported on how Musk is advising the presumptive GOP presidential candidate on all things crypto (maybe Dogecoin?), and the Wall Street Journal has related details about their time together in Florida—as well as the Tesla chief executive’s potential role in a second Trump administration. Bloomberg’s national politics correspondent Nancy Cook joins Max Chafkin and Kurt Wagner to talk about all of this. Also, the panel looked at some recent legal issues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 4, 202434 min

Elon High, Class of '24

Elon Musk has an interesting entourage (to say the least) and a penchant for bringing executives from one of his companies to another—often at the same time. In this special bonus episode of Elon, Inc., accompanying this Bloomberg feature, we turn to our panel of Max Chafkin, Dana Hull and Kurt Wagner, as well as special guest Katie Notopoulos, who covers tech culture for Business Insider. Together, they grapple with Musk’s cast of adjutants and why it’s important to know who they are. Then we play a game we’re calling, “Elon High.” If we were going to give high school superlatives to these people (think most likely to succeed, class clown, biggest flirt), what would they be? Stick around for the categories invented by the panelists themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 29, 202438 min

"A Typhoid Mary of Celebrity Endorsers"

Recently, a Democratic pollster surveyed the value of celebrity endorsement on the presidential race—looking at a sample of younger voters. The upshot was that Zendaya was the most influential celebrity—but Elon's name came up, too. He was one of the celebrities whose endorsement sends people running the other way. Call him an anti-influencer. Today on Elon, Inc., our panel of regulars—Max Chafkin, Dana Hull and host David Papadopoulos—are joined by Bloomberg political writer Joshua Green to talk about the state of Musk’s political life, as well as a grab bag of other news. Also: Feud Watch returns!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 28, 202437 min

Neuralink's First Patient Speaks, and How to Invest in SpaceX

Last week, Bloomberg Businessweek published an exclusive look at Noland Arbaugh, the first person to get Elon Musk’s Neuralink technology implanted in his head. Our own Ashlee Vance spent time with Arbaugh, who lives with his parents and (as you’ll hear) some vocal farm animals. Vance joins us to talk about what he learned from the first patient in Neuralink’s inaugural clinical trial. He is joined by Bloomberg’s Sarah McBride to give a full picture on what it all means. Plus, we talk to markets reporter Kiel Porter and space reporter Loren Grush about all of the action around SpaceX stock—which is kind of interesting since it’s still a private company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 21, 202433 min

Introducing: Big Take Asia

We’re taking The Big Take to Asia. Each week, Bloomberg’s Oanh Ha tells a story from the home of the world's most dynamic economies - and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive the ever-shifting region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 16, 20241 min

Live from San Francisco: Elon vs. OpenAI, School of Grok

Last week, Elon, Inc. held a live taping at Bloomberg’s Tech Summit. Like many of the conversations that day, it focused on artificial intelligence. Host David Papadopoulos was joined by Bloomberg Businessweek senior writer Max Chafkin, Bloomberg Musk reporter Dana Hull and a special guest, Bloomberg Businessweek editor Brad Stone. Together, we broke down how Elon Musk has (and hasn’t) innovated in this crucial industry. Also, the crew tested Brad on whether he could differentiate between Grok and other chatbots in a game called “School of Grok.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 14, 202438 min

Reinstating Nick Fuentes and Tone-Policing J.K. Rowling

Last week, the news broke that Tesla had terminated most of its supercharging team (along with summer interns) as part of a broader mass dismissal. Even with all the frantic efforts to bolster profits, this came as a surprise. Perhaps less of a surprise? White supremacist Nick Fuentes being allowed back on Musk’s X, where he promptly held a Sunday night Spaces broadcast with, as of Tuesday afternoon, 2.1 million viewers. The biggest surprise this week in Elon-world though had to be his new role as social media etiquette adviser, as he attempted to school J.K. Rowling on the best ways to post (remember the positive!). David, Dana and Max are joined by Bloomberg tech reporter Kurt Wagner to unpack all of this, and then some.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 7, 202436 min

Elon Goes to China, X Has an Anniversary

Before last week’s Tesla earnings, Elon Musk was scheduled to go to India—but didn’t. This weekend, though, news broke that he had in fact gone to China, to try to negotiate regulatory acceptance for his FSD (full self-driving) system. (It’s not actually full self-driving.) The Elon, Inc. panel—reporters Dana Hull and Max Chafkin—ponder that trip, and then delve into the second anniversary of Elon’s joke-y offer to buy Twitter, now X. Plus: A long simmering feud begins to boil over.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 30, 202436 min

The Most Important Earnings of Elon's Life?

This week David, Dana and Max are joined by Bloomberg Technology co-host Ed Ludlow to take a deep dive into all things Tesla, in advance of today’s fateful earnings report. Things are looking increasingly bleak for the company and we'll soon know if the numbers match the mood set by last week's layoffs. Also discussed: BINGO! And then, is Elon Musk feuding with Tucker Carlson? Max seems to think so, Dana is not so sure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 23, 202431 min

Bonus: Matt Levine Talks Elon

We here at Elon, Inc wanted to introduce you to Matt Levine's Money Stuff: The Podcast - especially since he spoke about Elon in the latest episode. Please enjoy this excerpt, and subscribe to their feed if you like what you hear!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 22, 202415 min

Tesla Can't Stop Losing

For the past week, Tesla has been in the news—badly. Tesla announced the largest company-wide terminations in its history—laying off 10% of its global workforce, or thousands of people. At the same time, two top executives are leaving. And that’s just the latest. So what gives? We explain. Plus, David, Dana and Max are joined by national security reporter Dan Flatley to talk about Musk’s upcoming trip to India.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 16, 202439 min

Elon Mulls a Robotaxi, X is Threatened in Brazil

On Friday, Elon promised an August 8 unveiling of a new robotaxi and replied to a post on X suggesting that Tesla was “shifting more resources” to the category. Meanwhile, Musk’s in a standoff with Brazil’s Supreme Court over what he sees as the country’s heavy-handed regulation of misinformation. The battle could force X out of one of its key markets. We discuss his legal challenges in Brazil with Sasha Issenberg, author of The Lie Detectives, and Bloomberg social media reporter Kurt Wagner (author of Battle for the Bird). And then chat through the implications of Musk’s turn to a technology that remains unproven with Elon, Inc. regulars Max Chafkin and Dana Hull. Finally, a brand new segment: Enchantment of the Week, where we analyze the a potential alliance between Elon and investor Nelson Peltz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 9, 202435 min

Elon's Porn Problem (and Tesla Headache)

If you think you’ve been seeing more X-rated content on X lately, you’re not alone. Elon's social media platform has long been permissive about suggestive material, but as Musk cut his content moderation teams, there seems to be more of the stuff floating around—and in more prominent places. This week, John Herrman of New York magazine, who recently published a story about a strange, particularly viral type of post, joins the Elon, Inc. panel to talk about X and porn. But first, Tesla sales numbers. They are not good. Not good at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 2, 202434 min

Tesla Takes the Wheel, Starlink Terminals Have a Black Market Problem

In a collaboration with the Bloomberg’s Big Take podcast, we present a story on SpaceX's Starlink satellite program. It touts itself as a source of reliable internet in hard-to-reach places. But there are some countries where Starlink’s services aren’t licensed, or where the company can’t do business because of US sanctions. And a Bloomberg investigation has found that Starlink kits are appearing in many of those markets anyway – with geopolitical consequences.Before we unpack that reporting, David, Max and Dana discuss new rules for selling Teslas, a tossed lawsuit and a report alleging that X has been profiting from selling data to governments and police departments, via a third-party data broker, even as it fights a lawsuit related to government surveillance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 26, 202428 min

Listen Now: The Big Take

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 26, 20241 min

Lemon Out, Tesla Down, SpaceX Up

In January, former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced that he’d had found a new patron who promised not to rein him in: Elon Musk. The new Don Lemon Show would air on X, Musk’s social media network. Lemon described the app formerly known as Twitter as “the biggest space for free speech in the world.” He promised “a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors.”The partnership, which X chief executive Linda Yaccarino, had also enthusiastically touted, didn’t survive the first episode, which featured an extremely awkward interview with Lemon’s would-be patron. The relationship died before the interview even aired.To break down the breakdown of what had been one of Musk’s highest profile content deals, and to discuss what it means for his struggling social network, we speak with Bloomberg social media reporter Kurt Wagner and Bloomberg’s Musk correspondent Dana Hull.But first we sift through the laundry list of other Musk news this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 19, 202434 min

Live from SXSW: Elon Goes to Texas

There’s a very old saying in Texas—“all hat and no cattle”—meaning essentially all talk, no action. Does this describe Musk, the state’s richest resident? Elon, Inc. went to Austin for a live taping at the South by Southwest festival to talk about Elon Musk’s influence on his newly adopted home, and also, its influence on him. David Papadopoulos was joined by Bloomberg Businessweek’s Max Chafkin and Rachel Monroe, who covers Texas and the Southwest for the New Yorker, as well as Sewell Chan, editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 14, 202436 min

Make Up or Break Up: Will Trump and Musk Merge?

This week on Elon, Inc., Businessweek senior reporter and editor Max Chafkin talks to Joshua Green, Businessweek’s political correspondent, about a recent meeting (or is it meetings?) of Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Elon has said that he won’t be donating to either US presidential candidate but — as recent X posts make clear — he is firmly in Trump’s political territory. Will Trump and Elon put aside past differences to somehow merge? We discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 12, 202416 min

Sam Altman v. Elon Musk v. Delaware

Elon Musk is mad at Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI. Musk has many grievances with the nonprofit research lab, some of which he has brought up repeatedly on podcasts, during television interviews and in social media posts. Among them: Musk thinks ChatGPT, the company’s AI chatbot, is insufficiently conservative (“WokeGPT,” he likes to call it), worries it might somehow lead to the end of the world if the chatbots get out of control and seems to be very frustrated about receiving insufficient credit for OpenAI’s achievements. (“I am the reason OpenAI exists,” he claimed on CNBC last year.) None of these are necessarily grounds for a legal complaint, which may be why the lawsuit he filed against OpenAI last week focuses on a related, but somewhat different grievance: Musk says he donated money to what he thought was a philanthropic research lab, only to discover it was Silicon Valley’s hottest startup, with an $86 billion valuation and ambitions for a whole lot more. To analyze the suit, and the feud between two of tech’s most powerful figures, Elon, Inc. called in Bloomberg’s official Elon Musk correspondent, Dana Hull, along with Bloomberg’s unofficial one, Money Stuff author Matt Levine. We are also joined by tech reporter Shirin Ghaffary (and author of the Q&AI newsletter) for a discussion about the merits (or lack thereof) of Musk’s argument and the competitive state of play. We also cover Musk’s fight over pay in Delaware and the new (new?) Tesla Roadster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 5, 202430 min

Introducing: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

The Deal, hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, features intimate conversations with business titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs who reveal their investment philosophies, pivotal career moves and the ones that got away. From Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals, The Deal is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Television, and Bloomberg Originals on YouTube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 29, 20241 min

Elon's Tunnels are Mired in sludge, But the Cybertruck is a Smooth Ride

What happens when Elon's formula for success goes wrong? In this episode we explored the failings of the Boring Company, Musk’s tunneling venture, with Bloomberg startups reporter Sarah McBride. When Musk started the company, in 2016, he did so with wild promises about super fast “hyperloop” travel, advanced tunnel boring machines, and dramatically lowered costs. But, as Bloomberg Businessweek reported yesterday, Boring Company workers say that Musk has achieved little in the way of actual innovations and has mostly focused on cutting corners, often at their expense. Also, Hannah Elliott, co-host of the Hot Pursuit! podcast, reviews the Cybertruck. Hannah had been skeptical of Musk’s weird retro-futuristic pickup, but she mostly liked it! With some important caveats, one being the surprising celebrity-like status of the driver. Finally, we dive into a feud with a possible happy ending.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 27, 202429 min

Bonus: The Real Reason Elon Musk Bought Twitter (Maybe)

In this bonus episode, Max Chafkin sits down with Bloomberg social media reporter Kurt Wagner to talk about Wagner’s new book Battle for the Bird: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk and the $44 Billion Fight for Twitter’s Soul.So why DID Elon buy Twitter? Max and Kurt explore three theories, including that Musk bought Twitter to confound a guy tracking his private jet, in an attempt to answer that—and many other—questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 22, 202430 min

Starlink is Incredibly Influential—and Investors Want In

Over the past year or so, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system has become increasingly important—and along with that, valuable. It’s been in the news recently because Ukrainian officials said that Russia was using Starlink to help their military operations in occupied parts of Ukraine—something Musk himself has denied. At the same time, though, Musk has been vocal about his opinion that the US should not continue funding Ukraine in their fight against Russia, an opinion shared by many rightwing Republican politicians. Starlink has also been approved to work in another conflict zone, as Israel gave permission for a Starlink terminal to be parked in a field hospital in Gaza. With all of the attention on Starlink’s role in conflict comes another, related question: how financially important is the product to Musk’s overall business empire? To talk about these questions, Elon, Inc. welcomed two Bloomberg experts to the panel: Marc Champion, a Bloomberg Opinion writer who has written about Musk’s role for both Ukraine and Russia, and Ed Ludlow, Bloomberg Technology reporter and TV host. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 20, 202429 min

How Wall Street Sees Elon and the Autopilot Superbowl "Ad"

Following a Superbowl attack ad, this week’s episode sees the crew discussing the challenges (and opportunities posed by) Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. Then they welcome Barry Ritholtz, host of the podcast Masters in Business and the founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management, to the studio for a wide-ranging conversation about Musk’s prowess as a manager and as a marketer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 13, 202430 min

The story Elon isn't posting about... (Hint: It's Tesla's stock price)

Lately, Tesla has been one of the stock market’s biggest losers. Since the beginning of the year, the company has dropped about $200 billion in market capitalization, making it the single-worst performing stock on the S&P 500. The spiral has come amid a storm of negative headlines—especially regarding slowing growth in electric vehicle purchases—a category Tesla has long dominated. Worse for Tesla, some of the most negative headlines were ones caused by Musk’s own erratic decisionmaking.To discuss why Tesla’s stock is falling and what it might mean for Musk’s larger empire, we brought in senior reporter Esha Dey, who covers stocks for Bloomberg.We also return to Elon’s alleged drug use. A necessary ingredient in his success to some, but insiders’ fear that Elon has become self-destructive and could eventually cause investors to rethink their beliefs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 6, 202426 min

Emergency Episode: Elon's $55 Billion Pay Problem

Yesterday’s Delaware court ruling could cost Elon Musk more than just $55 billion. The scathing, 200-page decision—by the same judge who presided over a case that led to Musk paying $44 billion for Twitter—called out the billionaire CEO for failing to disclose his sway over supposedly independent board members. She went on to characterize the pay package as unfair to shareholders and voided it.To analyze what this means for Tesla and Musk’s other companies, Elon, Inc. called together long-time Tesla reporter Dana Hull, Businessweek's Max Chafkin, and legal reporter Jef Feeley, who has covered Delaware’s Chancery Court for three decades, for an emergency podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 31, 202419 min

Elon Implants a Brain Chip, Deepfakes Break X

Since 2019, Musk has promised that his company Neuralink, which is developing computer chips to be implanted in people’s brains, was close to performing an experimental surgery on it first human subject. And yesterday he could at last announce: “The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well” Having finally delivered on his prediction, Musk used the occasion to tease a proposed product name, Telepathy. To discuss Neuralink’s achievement, Bloomberg tech reporter Sarah McBride joins the crew. Also, Kurt Wagner analyzes X’s recent struggles with AI-powered revenge porn, and Dana Hull follows up on last week's Tesla earnings bingo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 30, 202429 min

Elon Musk Bingo on Tesla’s Earnings Call

For years, Tesla fans and critics alike have produced mock bingo cards ahead of Tesla earnings calls. And so, in honor of Tesla’s next call, which will be held Jan. 24 after markets close, the Elon Inc. crew produced our own bingo game. This week we preview Tesla’s Q4 2023 earnings and introduce our picks for which Muskisms will carry the day. You can download a PDF of this quarter’s bingo card here. In this episode we also recap the other major events from the week: A visit to Auschwitz, a farewell to a former political ally and a paltry attempt at feud of the week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 23, 202427 min

Elon is the New Rush Limbaugh... No, Warren Buffett... No, Howard Hughes...

This week, the crew is joined by Bloomberg tech reporter Davey Alba to discuss how Musk is increasingly engaging with memes and misinformation favored by Donald Trump and his supporters. In recent months, Musk has shown an openness to Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen and that the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol was a not a failed insurrection, but instead a government conspiracy. He’s also promoted the idea that white people are under threat from Black people and immigrants—popular fixations among Trump’s supporters. We also break down the current drama over at Tesla. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 16, 202430 min

Elon's Bad Trip

Were we talking about almost any other executive, the report by the Wall Street Journal over the weekend about Elon Musk’s alleged drug use would have qualified as a bombshell. The article contends the chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla has used a collection of substances. This, according to the Journal’s unidentified sources, has caused consternation within Musk’s companies, with Tesla board members and SpaceX executives privately expressing concerns that the alleged drug use may be making Musk unreliable and erratic. But it’s not clear that many people, either inside or outside Musk’s companies, are genuinely worried. Musk mostly laughed off the report, offering a jokey response suggesting that any drugs he was taking should be seen as performance enhancers and noting that he’d passed government-mandated drug tests “after that one puff on Rogan”—a reference to a 2018 interview with Joe Rogan during which he smoked marijuana. Investors have been largely unmoved by all of this, partly because during the period that Musk is alleged to have indulged in illicit substances, he also made them a great deal of money. And Musk has mostly gone back to his regular schedule of boosting conspiracy theories proffered by election deniers, white nationalists and other assorted right wing influencers. On this episode, we are joined by Loren Grush, a Bloomberg aerospace reporter and author of the NASA history, The Six, to discuss why these drug allegations haven’t hurt Musk and why a labor dispute involving SpaceX employees might be a bigger threat in the long run.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 9, 202428 min

Tesla Slows Down, X's Value Drops and 2024 is Just Getting Started

Over the past decade, Elon Musk’s car company has transformed itself from a niche brand with a novelty product into a major automotive manufacturer and clear market leader. And yet, Tesla Inc.’s leadership position in electric cars is slipping. On Jan. 2, the company reported it delivered almost 485,000 vehicles to customers. The figure was in line with Wall Street expectations, but slightly less than that reported by China’s BYD Co., which delivered roughly 526,000 electric cars. On the latest episode, our panel discusses how BYD became Tesla’s most important competitor, even though it doesn’t sell cars in the US. Also: in another setback for Musk, his social media platform’s value continues to fall. The asset manager Fidelity again wrote down X’s valuation, according to a news report. Musk paid $44 billion for Twitter in late 2022; its value has since fallen by more than 70%. Lots to talk about. Finally, we offer predictions for 2024, including the prospect of further Musk feuds with the US government, his potential impact on the 2024 election and his new friendship with far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 2, 202425 min

Elon Musk Made 2023 All About Him

For better or worse, 2023 was the Year of Elon. The world’s richest man entered the year humbled: Tesla’s stock had fallen precipitously over the previous 12 months, Musk had been forced by a Delaware judge to buy Twitter (since renamed X) at what looked like an inflated price (one he’d set himself, in what now looks like the world’s most misguided attempt at a weed joke), and he’d been booed by an arena full of Dave Chappelle fans. (Musk claimed, limply, that the crowd was mostly cheering “except during the quiet periods.”) You can say a lot about what Musk has said and done in the months since then, but no one would argue he’s been marginalized. Surveys suggest that Musk’s reputation has taken a hit amid his amplification of right wing conspiracy theories, his endorsement of antisemitism, and his suggestion that the chief executive of one of the world’s most beloved companies “go f--- yourself.” And yet: Musk has put himself at the center of the news and has managed to stabilize his business empire. To make sense of this turn of events, the Elon Inc. crew invited PJ Vogt, the host of the Search Engine podcast, which earlier this year went deep down the Elon Musk rabbit hole to understand how, exactly, one of the world’s most admired technologists turned into a trolling, right wing memelord.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 26, 202338 min

Grok Is Good, Actually, and a Tesla Recall

When Elon Musk announced his new AI chatbot “Grok” last month, almost everything about it looked like a publicity stunt or a vanity project or both. The product was seemingly built over a matter of months, it was only available to a small group of X users and its chief selling point was Musk’s promise it wouldn’t be constrained by the “woke mind virus.” He boasted that Grok’s chatbot was “based”—a slang term meaning unapologetically right wing—and posted fratty memes meant to emphasize Grok’s dominance over market-leading competitor ChatGPT. None of this inspired confidence. But with Grok now available to paying users of Musk’s social media platform, the reviews are coming in. And they’re surprisingly positive. This week we are joined by Bloomberg reporter Shirin Ghaffary, who has been testing out the new chatbot and comparing it ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 19, 202330 min

Tesla’s First Strike and Alex Jones’ Return to X

For years, Elon Musk has fended off efforts by the United Auto Workers to unionize his factory in Fremont, California, where Tesla Inc. employs roughly 20,000 workers. But in recent weeks, Musk has struggled to contend with a seemingly less formidable threat: a tiny contingent of Scandinavian mechanics. This determined group is creating serious problems for the company across northern Europe. Bloomberg News editor Craig Trudell joins us this week to talk about a recent strike by employees at Swedish Tesla service centers, one which has led to work stoppages and blockades in neighboring countries. The strikes may reflect Musk’s increasingly polarizing personal brand, which took an even more right-wing turn this weekend when he participated in a live call-in show with a well-known far-right conspiracy theorist and an accused human trafficker. Also: the X holiday gift guide.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 12, 202329 min

Deciphering Elon Musk's Politics

This time we assess the aftermath of an especially gonzo week in the life of Elon Musk—one in which the billionaire CEO delivered the first production units of his company’s latest vehicle (the Cybertruck), weighed in on his preferred candidates for the 2024 election (neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden) and offered a message to the chief executive of one of America’s most beloved brands (“Go f— yourself”). Such trash talk and worse has left Musk somewhat isolated, with advertisers like Disney still avoiding his social media platform over his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 5, 202332 min

The Cybertruck Is Coming, Whether Tesla Is Ready or Not

The first shipments of Tesla Inc.’s long awaited Cybertruck are expected on Thursday—a momentous event given the years of anticipation. Bloomberg senior reporter Dana Hull joins this episode of Elon, Inc. to discuss the futuristic truck and its four years of engineering and development delays. But first, we speak with reporter Marissa Newman about Elon Musk’s recent trip to the Israel-Gaza border.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 28, 202329 min

Elon Goes 'Thermonuclear'

It’s been about a week since X-owner Elon Musk ignited a firestorm by endorsing antisemitic and racist posts on his social media platform. Since then, X Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino has been scrambling to contain the fallout as major advertisers like IBM, Sony, Discovery, Apple and CBS stopped or paused spending on the site. We take a look at what has happened. Also, how does the OpenAI mess impact Musk?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 21, 202326 min

Emergency Pod: The Impact of Musk Endorsing Antisemitism

Emergency pod! We are back in the studio for a second time this week to discuss the fallout of recent X posts by Elon Musk. Musk—who often posts controversial material—has taken things a step further in recent days, openly praising racist and antisemitic posts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 17, 202324 min

"Making Money on Space Is Still Extremely Difficult"

On Friday, SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Starship spacecraft for the second time. The first time yielded… mixed results. It was detonated within minutes of launch. In this episode we look back at what went wrong the first time, look ahead to the coming launch, and figure out what’s so difficult about space travel anyway. We also take a look at some recent statements from Elon on things like OpenAI and freedom of speech. This episode is hosted by Bloomberg executive editor David Papadopoulos, who is joined by Bloomberg Businessweek senior reporter Max Chafkin, Bloomberg editor Sarah Frier and space reporter Loren Grush.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 14, 202326 min

BONUS: Would You Put Neuralink In Your Brain?

Elon Musk’s startup Neuralink wants to implant a tiny chip in people’s brains, and it’s looking for a volunteer for its first clinical trial. Ashlee Vance, a Musk biographer and Bloomberg Businessweek contributor, made nearly a dozen visits to Neuralink facilities over the past three years for this week’s cover story on Neuralink. He’s reported on a robot brain-surgeon, an impatient Musk and a surreal scenes of smoothie-sipping, brain-chipped monkeys. Musk has reshaped an entire industry, and this one could be the most transformative of all. This bonus episode of Elon, Inc. is hosted by David Papadopoulos. He’s joined by Vance and technology reporter Sarah McBride. Read the cover story here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 7, 202323 min

Launching Grok, Fighting Fain

In our inaugural episode, we take a close look at the latest industry Musk wants to disrupt: artificial intelligence. We also discuss something that might disrupt Elon: after scoring big union wins in Detroit, UAW's Shawn Fain has set his eyes on Tesla. This episode is hosted by Bloomberg executive editor David Papadopoulos, who is joined by Bloomberg Businessweek senior reporter Max Chafkin, Bloomberg editor Sarah Frier and senior reporter Dana Hull.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 7, 202333 min

Introducing: Elon, Inc.

trailer

At Bloomberg, we’re always talking about the biggest business stories, and no one is bigger than Elon Musk. In this new chat weekly show, host David Papadopoulos and a panel of guests including Businessweek’s Max Chafkin, Tesla reporter Dana Hull, Big Tech editor Sarah Frier, and more, will break down the most important stories on Musk and his empire. Coming November 7th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 1, 20231 min