Elon, Inc.

Elon, Inc.

Bloomberg

Elon Musk’s sprawling business empire has granted the billionaire a degree of power and global influence that transcends the industries he’s reshaped. He is the leader of no fewer than six hugely influential companies, spanning electric vehicles to wartime communications, and their innovations could shape the fates of nations.  Musk is polarizing, confounding and inescapable. And he is the biggest business story of our time.  Each week, listen in as host David Papadopoulos convenes a panel of Bloomberg Businessweek journalists who are tracking Musk’s companies and the surprising ways they intersect. They break down the business mogul's latest m...

DOGE Powers On, A Cybertruck Order Disappears, xAI Looks for Money

DOGE Powers On, A Cybertruck Order Disappears, xAI Looks for Money

Elon Musk and his assistants have reportedly spent the past week dropping in on federal agencies ranging from the US Department of Education to the Department of Energy, the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. The result has been the potentially illegal disclosure of personal financial and health data belonging  to tens of millions of Americans. Accompanying these visits has been the summary (and again potentially illegal) termination of thousands of federal workers

Feb 18, • 19:04

Getting Inside Government Is Good Business

Getting Inside Government Is Good Business

Federal judges continue to declare most of Elon Musk’s activities in Washington to be probably illegal as the question of whether his 78-year-old boss will trigger a constitutional crisis becomes more pressing. At the same time, Musk has been making news in Silicon Valley, with a report Monday that he and others want to buy OpenAI. The proposal may have been a feint, but Sam Altman did take the opportunity to make Musk look small. The OpenAI chief executive said no thanks to the $97.4 billion o

Feb 11, • 35:45

Inside Elon’s Attack on the US Government

Inside Elon’s Attack on the US Government

Elon Musk has been in Washington a few weeks now, and he and his team of Silicon Valley adjutants show no signs of stopping their efforts to (illegally, many legal experts say) dismantle portions of the federal government in the name of Donald Trump. This weekend, we discussed how the Tesla co-founder and far-right billionaire was given access to a central component of government—the mechanism by which the Treasury distributes trillions of dollars authorized by Congress. Today, Max Chafkin discu

Feb 4, • 32:01

Emergency Episode: Nothing Stands Between Elon and Treasury's Payments System

Emergency Episode: Nothing Stands Between Elon and Treasury's Payments System

In a week of unprecedented action (and chaos) from both Elon Musk and the Trump administration, breaking news this weekend brought the Elon, Inc. team together for an emergency episode. The New York Times broke the news, and the Washington Post followed, that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was given access to the Treasury Department’s payment system. This system, which handles a big chunk of the government’s money transfers, including Social Security, is normally administered by a sm

Feb 2, • 22:17

Tesla Regret Doesn't Move Markets, Banks Try to Offload Twitter Debt

Tesla Regret Doesn't Move Markets, Banks Try to Offload Twitter Debt

It’s that time of year: quarterly earnings for Tesla are tomorrow. Regular Elon, Inc. listeners will know that means a new bingo card is here (and you can play on the Bloomberg Terminal at BNGO). But that’s only one of the many breaking news items about Elon Musk—another is today’s announcement that Visa is partnering with X to deliver banking services to the social media platform. To discuss all of this, host David Papadopoulos is joined by Max Chafkin, Dana Hull and editor Craig Trudell to tal

Jan 28, • 39:45

Evolving Money: Building Bridges with Bitcoin (Sponsored Content)

Evolving Money: Building Bridges with Bitcoin (Sponsored Content)

Just as mobile banking revolutionized our relationship with our money and led to a plethora of new tools for management and investing, the proliferation of crypto and blockchain technologies have opened up all manner of new investment opportunities that go far beyond what early Bitcoin adopters could’ve imagined. This episode is sponsored by Coinbase.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 26, • 19:05

Introducing: Trumponomics

Introducing: Trumponomics

Tariffs, crypto, deregulation, tax cuts, protectionism, are just some of the things back on the table when Donald Trump returns to the Presidency. To help you plan for Trump's singular approach to economics, Bloomberg presents Trumponomics, a weekly podcast focused on the Trump administration's economic policies and plans. Editorial head of government and economics Stephanie Flanders will be joined each week by reporters in Washington D.C. and Wall Street to examine how Trump's policies are shap

Jan 23, • 1:32

Elon Takes Spotlight at Inauguration and... on Video Games?

Elon Takes Spotlight at Inauguration and... on Video Games?

All eyes were on Washington, DC, this past weekend, when Elon Musk joined Donald Trump’s inauguration events bigly, as our once and current president would say. The news was flowing throughout, including changes to the nascent DOGE project and a very controversial hand gesture. Also controversial? Musk’s ongoing video game scandal, in which influential gamers have accused Musk of not actually getting to the upper echelon of a few games by himself. To discuss DC, host David Papadopoulos is joined

Jan 21, • 31:49

Elon Musk Gets Vetted for TikTok While Steve Bannon Seethes

Elon Musk Gets Vetted for TikTok While Steve Bannon Seethes

On Monday, Bloomberg News broke the story that Chinese officials were considering allowing Elon Musk to buy TikTok—something that, if it happened, would be earth-shaking for a whole host of reasons (though Elon, Inc. listeners heard us discuss the possibility months ago). Host Max Chafkin talks to Bloomberg social media reporter Kurt Wagner about what a Musk-owned TikTok could mean for the US (and China). Then Bloomberg political writer Joshua Green joins Chafkin and Musk reporter Dana Hull to u

Jan 14, • 33:14

Elon Picks a Fight with the UK and Gets Imitated By Zuck

Elon Picks a Fight with the UK and Gets Imitated By Zuck

For those who haven’t been following Elon Musk’s voluminous and combative X posts about the UK—good for you. It’s a confusing situation where Musk backed and then renounced fellow right-winger Nigel Farage, and then tried to taint Prime Minister Keir Starmer with a “scandal” tied to when he was a prosecutor. Starmer, for his part, said “a line has been crossed” with Musk’s messaging. Musk then made an X poll asking people, essentially, i

Jan 7, • 37:43

Elon Musk Is Not Having a Happy New Year

Elon Musk Is Not Having a Happy New Year

Over the holiday break, Elon Musk was busy making news on X, furiously posting his way into a multipronged fight with ultra-right wing MAGA luminaries Laura Loomer and Steve Bannon about immigration visas. But over the past 24 hours, two other stories arguably overshadowed the civil war in Trumpland: a deadly Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas and some surprisingly bad sales numbers from Tesla. David Papadopoulos is joined by Max Chafkin and Dana Hull to break down the news. See omnystudio.c

Jan 2, • 28:19

The Year in Elon, Part Two

The Year in Elon, Part Two

As we established in our last podcast—an episode recapping 12 months of ups and downs and ups for the world’s richest man—this was a unique year for Elon Musk. This week, our look back continues—along with a look forward—in the second part of a holiday special of Elon, Inc. Host Max Chafkin is joined by Elon Musk reporter Dana Hull, tech editor Sarah Frier and special guest Ryan Broderick, host of the podcast Panic World and found

Dec 30, 2024 • 33:31

The Year in Elon, Part One

The Year in Elon, Part One

What a year 2024 has been for Elon Musk. From the ups-and-downs of Tesla stock, to his rapid ascent to the top of Republican party politics to various SpaceX wins and losses, it seems like a year that Musk won’t forget. And neither will we: for the year-end episode, we actually have a two-part special, featuring Max Chafkin as host, Dana Hull (Elon Musk reporter) and Sarah Frier (Big Tech editor) as panelists and a special guest, Ryan Broderick, host of his own podcast, Panic World, a

Dec 20, 2024 • 36:56

Emergency Podcast: Elon Musk is Shutting Down the Government

Emergency Podcast: Elon Musk is Shutting Down the Government

For the past day or so, Elon Musk has been singularly focused, on X, on one target: funding the US government. He has, basically, single-handedly, killed a bipartisan bill that would keep the federal government running through January 1, 2025. To unpack what is happening — and will what will happen — Max Chafkin sits down with Bloomberg News reporter Ted Mann. It’s a huge gamble, by Musk and Trump, on what could be a very problematic start to Trump’s new administration.Se

Dec 19, 2024 • 12:15

Musk and Altman Enter 'Post Old Emails' Era of Feud

Musk and Altman Enter 'Post Old Emails' Era of Feud

The simmering feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman is boiling again. In the latest round, OpenAI, which is being sued by Musk, uncorked a long post last week that included emails purporting to show that Musk didn’t really care about the safety of artificial intelligence (as he has long said he does). According to OpenAI, Musk just wanted to control the company. Also on the docket for Elon, Inc. this week: a conversation with Bloomberg reporter Loren Grush, along with regulars Dana Hull an

Dec 17, 2024 • 34:17

Mr. Musk Goes to Washington (and Paris... and Mar-a-lago...)

Mr. Musk Goes to Washington (and Paris... and Mar-a-lago...)

Elon Musk is frequently on the move, but in his new role as Donald Trump’s wealthiest enforcer, he seems to be everywhere at once. One minute he’s on Capitol Hill with Vivek Ramaswamy pushing his boss’s government-gutting agenda, the next he’s in Paris with the president-elect for some awkward mingling with the global elite. Then he’s back at Mar-a-Lago, huddling with Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban. Bloomberg political writer Josh Green joins Max Chafkin and Dana

Dec 10, 2024 • 32:52

Elon Loses (Again) in Delaware, Might Gain New Tesla Customers

Elon Loses (Again) in Delaware, Might Gain New Tesla Customers

This holiday season, it would seem that Elon Musk has much to be thankful for—he even spent Thanksgiving by Donald Trump’s side in Mar-a-Lago. But last night, a Delaware judge handed him a rare defeat, rejecting yet again his enormous Tesla pay package. To discuss this and other legal matters, the Elon, Inc. team has brought on Bloomberg legal reporter Jef Feeley as well as the regular crew: Sarah Frier, Max Chakin, and Dana Hull. The gang also discuss Elon's shifting customer base. One conseque

Dec 3, 2024 • 34:44

The DOGE Team of MAGA Billionaires Takes Shape

The DOGE Team of MAGA Billionaires Takes Shape

There have been a lot of raised eyebrows over Elon Musk’s “DOGE” (not the cryptocurrency), short for Trump 2.0’s “Department of Government Efficiency.” It’s Donald Trump’s project for Musk: he’s assigned his wealthiest donor the task of cutting government spending by about $2 trillion (most of which is constitutionally up to Congress, but anyway...), in part by gutting or eliminating key regulatory agencies. The DOGE will be co-led by former presidential candidate, fellow tech entrepreneur and n

Nov 26, 2024 • 36:02

Listen Now: Beak Capitalism from Odd Lots

Listen Now: Beak Capitalism from Odd Lots

In this limited series, Odd Lots explains some of the thorniest issues facing the US economy through the medium of … chicken. Chicken occupies a unique position in the US diet, but issues facing the poultry industry illustrate wider points about the development of the US economy and the decisions being made about how it's structured and who benefits from it. So why has the chicken industry evolved in the way that it has? What’s been driving the price increases in eggs and meat? And what does it

Nov 24, 2024 • 1:48

Citizen Elon, Episode 3: Vox Dei

Citizen Elon, Episode 3: Vox Dei

When Donald Trump claimed victory, early in the morning of Nov. 6, he did so not only for himself, his campaign staff and the voters who backed him–but also for the billionaire industrialist and media mogul who’d become his most unlikely supporter. “A star is born: Elon,” Trump said, his mouth lingering on the name. “He’s an amazing guy.” In this episode, we talk to journalists, academics and a historian about how to measure the scale and scope of Musk's win. Can anyone, or anything, hold someon

Nov 22, 2024 • 21:06

Elon Won't Leave Mar-a-Lago but are Users Fleeing X?

Elon Won't Leave Mar-a-Lago but are Users Fleeing X?

Does money speak? And if so, what is it saying about Elon Musk and Donald Trump? In this episode of Elon, Inc., the panel—host David Papadopoulos, Elon Musk reporter Dana Hull, social media reporter Kurt Wagner and Bloomberg Businessweek senior writer Max Chafkin—consider how Musk has benefited from his incredibly close relationship with the president-elect, even as some cracks emerge between them.  Also discussed: Bluesky, a new version of what Twitter was before Musk got a hold of it, has had

Nov 19, 2024 • 35:58

Elon Becomes the First Friend

Elon Becomes the First Friend

It’s hard to believe it’s only been a week since the US presidential election. First Friend Elon Musk has been very busy—from talking on the phone to world leaders to racking up billions of dollars in additional wealth as Tesla stock soars (thanks to widespread expectations of presidential favor). To hash all of this out, Bloomberg Businessweek senior writer Max Chafkin leads a discussion with Bloomberg technology editor Sarah Frier, Elon Musk reporter Dana Hull and wealth reporter Tom Maloney.

Nov 12, 2024 • 26:26

Elon Did It

Elon Did It

Mere hours after Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election, Elon, Inc. headed to the studio to do some processing. Max Chafkin and Dana Hull discuss how much credit Musk can take, how he spent election day and night and what’s next for America as Musk seems poised to occupy an important role in shaping Trump’s second term.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 6, 2024 • 18:55

The Stakes are Sky High for Elon Musk

The Stakes are Sky High for Elon Musk

Consider this your Elon Musk-election night buffet: the Elon, Inc. crew, headed by host David Papadopoulos, discuss what’s at stake for Musk and what’s transpired over the last week of this seemingly endless US presidential campaign. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 5, 2024 • 28:44

Listen Now: US Election Coverage on Bloomberg Podcasts

Listen Now: US Election Coverage on Bloomberg Podcasts

Be in the know this election with Bloomberg Podcasts. Follow Bloomberg News Now for up-to-the minute election results, all night long. And go deeper with The Big Take podcast, featuring in-depth global analysis of the US election every day this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 4, 2024 • 1:05

Citizen Elon, Episode 2: Doomscaping

Citizen Elon, Episode 2: Doomscaping

Elon Musk announced his support for Donald Trump on July 13, minutes after the attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Pennsylvania. Since then, the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX has been engaged in what amounts to one of the all-time largest political spending sprees. That’s not even counting what many have called the biggest in-kind political gift in history: Musk’s social media platform, X. In this second episode of Citizen Elon, we explore what Musk stands to gain, how he's wielding his

Nov 1, 2024 • 25:26

Musk Takes a Victory Lap at Trump Rally, Tesla Stock Surges

Musk Takes a Victory Lap at Trump Rally, Tesla Stock Surges

This has been a huge week for Elon Musk: First, the Tesla stock rally, in reaction to a good earnings report, made him billions of dollars richer (at least on paper). Then, Musk continued his full-throated campaign for Donald Trump with a marquee appearance at Madison Square Garden, leading chants of “USA!” to adoring fans amid a rally that featured the most racially inflammatory language yet of the Republican’s campaign.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 29, 2024 • 29:18

Citizen Elon, Episode 1: Flipping the Table

Citizen Elon, Episode 1: Flipping the Table

Donald Trump and Elon Musk occupied two entirely different worlds. Until they didn’t. In this episode, we learn how their paths as public figures — often informed and provoked by personal grievances — brought them together. Which snubs, perceived or not, prompted Musk to dip his toes in the politics pool?  We hear from misinformation scholars, right wing media experts, Bloomberg journalists, and people who have worked closely with Musk—close enough to discuss what he and Trump might have in comm

Oct 25, 2024 • 23:48

What to Make of Elon's $1 Million Giveaway

What to Make of Elon's $1 Million Giveaway

Elon Musk has made more headlines than usual as he travels all over Pennsylvania, working to help Donald Trump win the state in the Nov. 5 presidential election. As usual, the right-wing billionaire (Musk in this case) has been doing things his way, behaving like Trump by pushing traditional boundaries for campaigning, while also potentially violating election laws. Musk’s latest gambit, to offer swing state residents the chance at winning a $1 million if they sign a petition promising they’ll s

Oct 22, 2024 • 28:28

Introducing: Citizen Elon

Introducing: Citizen Elon

Over the course of one weekend in July, the presidential election was turned on its head. This is when news organizations announced that Elon Musk was backing Donald Trump—and gave a real endorsement, something he said he’d never do. What does it mean that the world’s richest man has been united with not just any presidential candidate, but Trump? In this three-part series from Elon, Inc., we will explore how Musk’s politics have (and haven’t) changed over time; what the mercurial CEO of a huge

Oct 22, 2024 • 2:19

Listen Now: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

Listen Now: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

When sports, business and culture collide, there’s often a deal to be made. Join Alex Rodriguez and Bloomberg correspondent Jason Kelly as they get the inside track from corporate titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs on investing, strategy, reinvention and the ones that got away. The Deal is a Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals series that’s passionate, relaxed, insightful and inspirational. If you think you know these icons, prepare to be surprised.See omnystudio.com

Oct 20, 2024 • 1:42

Optimus is More Human than it Looks But SpaceX Nails the Landing

Optimus is More Human than it Looks But SpaceX Nails the Landing

In the wake of his disappointing “robotaxi” launch and Wall Street’s punishing response, Elon Musk had at least one reason to celebrate this past week: the successful deployment of a complicated rocket retrieval system. But that doesn’t mean we are done picking through the Robotaxi unveiling and how the Optimus robots weren’t really “robots.” To unpack these events, we have reporters Loren Grush and Dana Hull as well as Bloomberg Television correspondent Ed Ludlow. Then we feature reporter Kurt

Oct 15, 2024 • 33:22

The Robotaxi Verdict Is In

The Robotaxi Verdict Is In

It was a late night for Tesla fans, investors and journalists as the much-discussed unveiling of Elon Musk’s “cybercab” (or is it “robotaxi?”) was significantly delayed from its scheduled 10 pm ET start. And while the aesthetics of the vehicle got some rave reviews, details on production of a new wave of autonomous vehicles—let alone their potential deployment—were scant. To get a quick round-up of thoughts, David Papadopoulos jumped into the studio with Bloomberg editor Craig Trudell to discuss

Oct 11, 2024 • 14:36

Elon Bets Big on Trump and the Robotaxi

Elon Bets Big on Trump and the Robotaxi

This week was supposed to be all about Thursday’s big Tesla unveiling—but Elon Musk jumped (literally) on stage with his new best friend, Donald Trump, prompting all sorts of memes in a week when he may have revealed his real motivation for backing a convicted felon for president. On this episode of Elon, Inc., we preview what people can expect in a Robotaxi with Dana, Max and Bloomberg editor Craig Trudell, and dig into Musk’s rebirth as a Republican megadonor with a special guest—journalist Ja

Oct 8, 2024 • 35:56

'Remigration' Takes Flight on X, The Story of ElonJet

'Remigration' Takes Flight on X, The Story of ElonJet

As we’ve previously discussed here on Elon, Inc., the billionaire’s posts on X have grown more and more political—and right wing—over time. This week, we have Bloomberg’s Jonathan Tirone with us to discuss how Elon Musk, and his platform, have brought the once-obscure, White nationalist term “remigration” back into US politics. Then, tech reporter Kurt Wagner talks to Jack Sweeney, the young man who made a flight tracking service Musk personally de-platformed. Plus: Tesla seems poised to uncork

Oct 1, 2024 • 36:59

An Incomplete Guide to Elon’s Feuds

An Incomplete Guide to Elon’s Feuds

Feuds. Can’t beat ‘em, can’t stop ‘em. At Elon, Inc., we’ve long covered Elon Musk’s penchant for a public feud at the end of episodes, but today feuds take center stage. David and Max talk to Bloomberg emerging markets reporter Julia Leite, who is based in Brazil, about Musk’s evolving legal situation there. Then Dana joins to talk about the Cybertruck situation in Chechnya. We can't help ourselves. There's two extra feuds, both related to land-use disputes. First, the party game Cards Against

Sep 24, 2024 • 30:40

Elon Tests Limits of Free Speech while SpaceX Racks Up the Wins

Elon Tests Limits of Free Speech while SpaceX Racks Up the Wins

As we chronicle every week on Elon, Inc., Elon Musk contains multitudes. He leads six companies, runs his own social-media platform and is now explicitly working to re-elect Donald Trump as president. This week, we talk about two very different kinds of Musk stories. One is about his behavior on X, and the rare tweet he took down. The other is about how his space company, SpaceX, is having a great run of late, with a successful space walk and a new deal with United Airlines. See omnystudio.com/l

Sep 17, 2024 • 30:42

Inside Musk's Plans for Mars, What's Going On with Tesla and xAI

Inside Musk's Plans for Mars, What's Going On with Tesla and xAI

Does Elon Musk consider all of his companies to be one giant company? That’s something that comes up in today’s episode as host David, Dana and Max consider a recent report on Tesla potentially giving up future revenue in exchange for access to Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI access. That brings up corporate governance issues.  And then, Dana speaks to New York Times reporter Kirsten Grind about a story she wrote on Musk’s plans regarding Mars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

Sep 10, 2024 • 36:36

Musk See TV

Musk See TV

After months of back and forth, Brazil finally did what it’s been threatening to do: ban X. This comes on the heels of government complaints from Britain and elsewhere about false information thriving on Elon Musk’s embattled social media platform—some of it from Musk himself. In this episode of Elon, Inc., we dig into Brazil’s action and also talk about the Android app launch of X TV, a way to watch video content from the former Twitter on your home TV screen. Our panel—David Papadopoulos, Max

Sep 3, 2024 • 25:21

SpaceX to the Rescue, Who's Who of X Dramas

SpaceX to the Rescue, Who's Who of X Dramas

Tesla is often heralded as Elon Musk’s premiere company, the business at the foundation of all his other businesses. But as Tesla has struggled and lost market share, it’s SpaceX that keeps surging ahead of the competition. SpaceX is trying to add the first commercial spacewalk to its list of accomplishments, and is set to bail out embattled rival Boeing by retrieving astronauts stranded by its faulty Starliner. This week reporters Loren Grush and Bruce Einhorn sift through the developments and

Aug 27, 2024 • 32:16

Listen Now: Misconception

Listen Now: Misconception

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg’s Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-drive

Aug 23, 2024 • 1:36

Grok-Generated Chaos, Cybertruck In Strange Places

Grok-Generated Chaos, Cybertruck In Strange Places

Last week, X users might have noticed a new kind of artificial intelligence-generated image proliferating: strange visions of Elon Musk next to Disney characters carrying guns, or Donald Trump in all kinds of, well, weird situations. This was what followed a new release of Musk’s Grok AI tool, which can now make images—unsurprisingly with fewer guardrails than other image-creating machines out there. On this episode we’ll talk about Grok’s new skillset and also get into the semiotics of the Cybe

Aug 20, 2024 • 29:37

The Musk-Trump Conversation, Musk in China

The Musk-Trump Conversation, Musk in China

Monday night, Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Elon Musk on Musk’s social media platform, X. An unfiltered conversation between two of the most influential figures of the last decade? It was no surprise that over one million people listened concurrently in as they meandered across topics ranging from electric vehicles and immigration, to a play-by-play of the assassination attempt Trump survived in Pennsylvania last month.So what’s the significance of this interview, which produced ve

Aug 13, 2024 • 39:43

AI Gets Frothy and Elon's Impact on Texas

AI Gets Frothy and Elon's Impact on Texas

As the world reacts to US Vice President Kamala Harris’s own vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, our attention stays focused on Monday’s stock market selloff (though much was recovered on Tuesday). One of the big topics of conversation was, does the sudden dip represent a popping artificial intelligence bubble? And what would such a correction do to Elon Musk? On this week’s episode of Elon, Inc., Bloomberg Businessweek’s Max Chafkin, Bloomberg technology editor Sarah Frier and

Aug 6, 2024 • 35:32

Elon Musk Goes on Politics Posting Rampage and Why He Left California

Elon Musk Goes on Politics Posting Rampage and Why He Left California

Presidential political news—and memes—continue to electrify the American public. And it seems they’ve had an effect on Elon Musk as well, seeing how the far-right GOP megadonor has been posting madly on his embattled social media platform. Among media shared by Musk—now a full-throated supporter of Donald Trump—has been a fake video of US Vice President Kamala Harris with the parody label removed. Bloomberg technology editor Sarah Frier and reporter Kurt Wagner join Elon, Inc., to talk about thi

Jul 30, 2024 • 35:34

Biden Drops out, Musk Tweets for Trump, and Elon Loses a Superfan

Biden Drops out, Musk Tweets for Trump, and Elon Loses a Superfan

When President Joe Biden announced that he was dropping his campaign for re-election, the news reached most people via the President's post to X. Some are calling that a win for Musk's beleaguered platform, but Musk himself seemed to be preoccupied with propping up former President Trump's campaign on X, a platform Trump himself won't even use. David and Max are joined by tech editor Sarah Frier to dig into how it all played out on X.Plus, the first installment of our Summer Conversation Series:

Jul 23, 2024 • 37:21

Elon Gives Big Donation, Big Endorsement and Big Advice to Donald Trump

Elon Gives Big Donation, Big Endorsement and Big Advice to Donald Trump

The fortunes of Elon Musk and Donald Trump have been converging for the better part of the past year. But over the past week, the union became official. On Friday, Bloomberg broke the news of a significant donation to a Trump Super-PAC. Then on Saturday, immediately after an assassination attempt on Trump’s life, Musk tweeted out his endorsement of the former president.  David, Max, and Dana are joined Bloomberg Businessweek editor Brad Stone, who sat down with Trump in Florida for this month’s

Jul 16, 2024 • 33:18

SpaceX Cancel Culture, PayPal Mafia Feuds, and a Debate Over (Short) Shorts

SpaceX Cancel Culture, PayPal Mafia Feuds, and a Debate Over (Short) Shorts

Bloomberg reporters Josh Eidelson and Loren Grush recently went deep on a tangle of lawsuits orbiting SpaceX, all related to toxic workplace allegations including sexual harassment and retaliation. They join the Elon, Inc., panel to tell us what they found. Also, Dana and Max discuss a new feud developing between Musk and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman while delivering some thoughts on the fate of those who short Tesla stock.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 9, 2024 • 36:21

Tesla Stems the Bleeding, SpaceX Set to Destroy

Tesla Stems the Bleeding, SpaceX Set to Destroy

Tuesday was a big day in the world of Tesla, which reported its second-quarter sales numbers. After a disastrous start to 2024, and despite year-over-year sales being down, the numbers weren’t that bad.  David, Dana and Max talk it out with Bloomberg senior editor for autos Craig Trudell. Plus we have a lot of SpaceX and X news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 2, 2024 • 32:13

Elon Obsesses Over Babies and Linda Yaccarino Loses an Ally

Elon Obsesses Over Babies and Linda Yaccarino Loses an Ally

Why is Elon Musk so obsessed with birth rates? And what is he doing about it? Those questions are at the heart of today’s episode, as well as the Bloomberg Businessweek feature by Sophie Alexander and Dana Hull. They join David Papadopoulos to talk about their reporting (and their scoop on Musk’s twelfth known child). Plus, what’s happening at X? Falling revenues have led to a high-level shake-up, as Kurt Wagner comes aboard to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 25, 2024 • 33:29

Pay Dirt! Elon's Pay Package, X's Payments Plan

Pay Dirt! Elon's Pay Package, X's Payments Plan

Last week, we wondered whether Elon Musk would get his pay package approved in a shareholder vote—and we got our answer. According to Musk and Tesla, over 70% of shareholders voted to approve his record-setting deal. But what does this mean? To help answer that question, Elon, Inc. has convened its regular panelists, in the form of Max and Dana, as well as Delaware courts reporter Jef Feeley. And later on, Kurt Wagner comes on to talk about his scoop about X’s plans to become a payment service,

Jun 18, 2024 • 39:37

Bonus: Is Elon Serious About Colonizing Mars?

Bonus: Is Elon Serious About Colonizing Mars?

Max and Dana recently joined Ashlee Vance as guests on Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast for a special Elon Musk episode. The wide ranging discussion covered a plethora of subjects, like Starlink's influence on the amateur night sky photographer community, Elon's leadership style and whether all his efforts really is just a combined effort to take humans to Mars. Dana seems to think so.It was such a good time, we can't help but share it with you today. So click play, enjoy, and then go subscribe to O

Jun 13, 2024 • 49:03

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

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 $55 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 App

Jun 11, 2024 • 31:56

Introducing "Foundering: The OpenAI Story"

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, 2024 • 2:00

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Elon and Trump

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 re

Jun 4, 2024 • 34:56

Elon High, Class of '24

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 p

May 29, 2024 • 38:00

"A Typhoid Mary of Celebrity Endorsers"

"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 tal

May 28, 2024 • 37:25

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

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

May 21, 2024 • 33:04

Introducing: Big Take Asia

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, 2024 • 1:30

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

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

May 14, 2024 • 38:11

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

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

May 7, 2024 • 36:10

Elon Goes to China, X Has an Anniversary

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 omnystudi

Apr 30, 2024 • 36:44

The Most Important Earnings of Elon's Life?

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, 2024 • 31:36

Bonus: Matt Levine Talks Elon

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, 2024 • 15:36

Tesla Can't Stop Losing

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, 2024 • 39:10

Elon Mulls a Robotaxi, X is Threatened in Brazil

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 (au

Apr 9, 2024 • 35:57

Elon's Porn Problem (and Tesla Headache)

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 numb

Apr 2, 2024 • 34:12

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

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, Da

Mar 26, 2024 • 28:35

Listen Now: The Big Take

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, 2024 • 1:14

Lemon Out, Tesla Down, SpaceX Up

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 epis

Mar 19, 2024 • 34:04

Live from SXSW: Elon Goes to Texas

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, edi

Mar 14, 2024 • 36:20

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

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, 2024 • 16:13

Sam Altman v. Elon Musk v. Delaware

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 insuff

Mar 5, 2024 • 30:48

Introducing: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

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 o

Feb 29, 2024 • 1:37

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

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 innov

Feb 27, 2024 • 29:30

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

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, 2024 • 30:02

Starlink is Incredibly Influential—and Investors Want In

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

Feb 20, 2024 • 29:13

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

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, 2024 • 30:37

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

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 d

Feb 6, 2024 • 26:38

Emergency Episode: Elon's $55 Billion Pay Problem

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 T

Jan 31, 2024 • 19:33

Elon Implants a Brain Chip, Deepfakes Break X

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 repo

Jan 30, 2024 • 29:48

Elon Musk Bingo on Tesla’s Earnings Call

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 fare

Jan 23, 2024 • 27:40

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

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—popul

Jan 16, 2024 • 30:27

Elon's Bad Trip

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 Mus

Jan 9, 2024 • 28:05

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

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

Jan 2, 2024 • 25:59

Elon Musk Made 2023 All About Him

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 “exce

Dec 26, 2023 • 38:11

Grok Is Good, Actually, and a Tesla Recall

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 do

Dec 19, 2023 • 30:50

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

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 Swe

Dec 12, 2023 • 29:01

Deciphering Elon Musk's Politics

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 st

Dec 5, 2023 • 32:07

The Cybertruck Is Coming, Whether Tesla Is Ready or Not

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, 2023 • 29:19

Elon Goes 'Thermonuclear'

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, 2023 • 26:30

Emergency Pod: The Impact of Musk Endorsing Antisemitism

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, 2023 • 24:45

"Making Money on Space Is Still Extremely Difficult"

"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,

Nov 14, 2023 • 26:35

BONUS: Would You Put Neuralink In Your Brain?

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 th

Nov 7, 2023 • 23:10

Launching Grok, Fighting Fain

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 infor

Nov 7, 2023 • 33:34

Introducing: Elon, Inc.

Introducing: Elon, Inc.

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, 2023 • 1:15

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