Elon Musk calls investors who bet against Tesla's stocks 'jerks who want us to die'
- Today, Rolling Stone published an extensive profile of SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk which delves into the tech billionaire's love life, family history, and professional ambitions.
- In the article, Musk confirms his dislike of short traders who bet against Tesla's stock, referring to them as 'jerks who want us to die.'
A revealing profile of SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk published on Wednesday by Rolling Stone covers the tech billionaire's troubled love life, his tense relationship with his father, and his ferocious ambitions for the future of both his companies and for the planet.
But one telling detail about Musk remains the same: he really, really hates investors who short Tesla's stocks.
It isn't the first time the tech mogul has rallied against short sellers. In June, Musk referred to them in a tweet as "guys who want us to die so bad they can taste it." He followed up with another tweet: "Just wish they would stop sticking pins in voodoo dolls of me. That hurts, ok?"
It's clear that Musk takes this form of financial criticism personally, and his attitude in the Rolling Stone profile is identical to his position this summer.
In a passage from the story, Musk scrolls through CNBC to discover that Tesla has the highest short position in the stock market.
Musk's 13-year-old son, Griffin, explains the investors' methodology: "They're betting that the stock goes down, and they're getting money off that. But it went up high, so they lost an insane amount of money."
Musk takes the information as a personal affront, describing the people who bet on Tesla's stocks depreciating as "jerks who want us to die." He continues, "They're constantly trying to make up false rumors and amplify any negative rumors. It's a really big incentive to lie and attack my integrity. It's really awful. It's...hurtful."
Whatever Musk's thoughts on investors, one fact remains clear: his 13-year-old son has a better understanding of the stock market than a lot of educated adults.
Read the full Wired feature on Musk here.