Elon Musk called Bill Gates a 'knucklehead' for criticizing his coronavirus response. Here's where their simmering feud began and how it's escalated amid the pandemic.

Avery HartmansSep 30, 2020, 00:21 IST

Elon Musk, left, and Bill Gates.Susan Walsh/AP; Mike Cohen/Getty Images for The New York Times

Elon Musk and Bill Gates have been feuding over everything from the coronavirus to electric vehicles.
The two moguls don't see eye-to-eye on electric car technology. Musk has said Gates doesn't know what he's talking about, and Gates has revealed he bought a Porsche electric car over a Tesla.
Most recently, Gates and Musk have feuded over the coronavirus. Gates called Musk's comments on the outbreak "outrageous," and Musk recently described Gates as a "knucklehead."

Bill Gates and Elon Musk don't exactly see eye-to-eye.

While the Microsoft billionaire and the Tesla and SpaceX titan have never had a particularly cozy relationship, things have heated up over the last six months as the two have openly sparred about everything from electric vehicles to the coronavirus.

The two moguls are currently among the world's wealthiest, eclipsed only by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. While their public spats may not always be serious, they do appear to fundamentally disagree about the coronavirus — and as two major players in the treatment of the virus and an eventual vaccine to protect against it, their public clashes carry even more weight.

Here's where the friction between Gates and Musk began and everything that's happened since.

Gates doesn't appear to be a fan of Tesla vehicles, and he's said as much publicly.

Elaine Thompson/AP

In February, Gates said during an interview with YouTuber Marques Brownlee that while Tesla has helped drive innovation and adoption of electric vehicles, he didn't buy a Tesla when making a recent vehicle purchase — he bought a Porsche Taycan.

Gates' comments didn't get by Musk, who tweeted that his conversations with Gates have always been "underwhelming."

Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Elon Musk/Twitter

But things really heated up in July when Gates publicly took issue with Musk's comments on the coronavirus pandemic.

Bill Gates during a 2014 interview. AP

In an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Gates criticized Musk's comments on the virus and implied that Musk shouldn't be speaking publicly about the pandemic at all.

"Elon's positioning is to maintain a high level of outrageous comments," Gates said. "He's not much involved in vaccines. He makes a great electric car. And his rockets work well. So he's allowed to say these things. I hope that he doesn't confuse areas he's not involved in too much."

Both Gates and Musk are involved in fighting the coronavirus, with Gates pledging $100 million to fight the virus via the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Musk redirecting Tesla resources to source and produce ventilators and teaming up with German biotech firm CureVac, in which Gates is an investor, to make a device that will aid in vaccine production.

But since the virus outbreak in March, Musk has frequently downplayed the severity of the virus and strongly criticized stay-at-home orders. He's promoted the untested malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus, falsely stated that children are immune to it, and questioned data around coronavirus deaths. Musk also said March that there would be "close to zero new cases" by the end of April — the death toll in the US alone has now surpassed 200,000.

In an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box, Gates criticized Musk's comments on the virus and implied that Musk shouldn't be speaking publicly about the pandemic at all.

Elon's positioning is to maintain a high level of outrageous comments, Gates said. He's not much involved in vaccines. He makes a great electric car. And his rockets work well. So he's allowed to say these things. I hope that he doesn't confuse areas he's not involved in too much.

But since the virus outbreak in March, Musk has frequently downplayed the severity of the virus and strongly criticized stay-at-home orders. He's promoted the untested malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus, falsely stated that children are immune to it, and questioned data around coronavirus deaths. Musk also said March that there would be close to zero new cases by the end of April — the death toll in the US alone has now surpassed 200,000.

The comments struck a nerve with Musk, who took to Twitter to taunt Gates.

Elon Musk, founder and chief engineer of SpaceX speaks at the 2020 Satellite Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Musk jokingly posted multiple tweets about Gates, including, "Billy G is not my lover" and "The rumor that Bill Gates & I are lovers is completely untrue."

Earlier this month, Musk tweeted that Gates has "no clue" about electric trucks.

Bill Gates, takes part in a panel discussion titled "Investing in African Prosperity" at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California May 1, 2013. Gus Ruelas/Reuters

In August, Gates wrote a blog post about electric vehicles that called into question whether it was practical to make vehicles like 18-wheelers fully electric. Though he didn't mention Tesla, the company does produce its own semi.

A few weeks later, a Twitter user asked Musk his opinion of Gates' comments, to which Musk replied: "He has no clue."

A few weeks later, a Twitter user asked Musk his opinion of Gates' comments, to which Musk replied: He has no clue.

Most recently, Musk called Gates a "knucklehead" for criticizing his coronavirus efforts.

Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images

During a podcast interview with The New York Times' Kara Swisher this week, Musk was questioned on his feelings about the virus, including whether or not he plans to get vaccinated.

Musk defended himself against Gates' comments, saying he's spent time with Harvard University epidemiologists "doing antibody studies" and noting Tesla's work with CureVac.

"Gates said something about me not knowing what I was doing," Musk told Swisher. "It's like, 'Hey, knucklehead, we actually make the vaccine machines for CureVac, that company you're invested in.'"

During a podcast interview with The New York Times' Kara Swisher this week, Musk was questioned on his feelings about the virus, including whether or not he plans to get vaccinated.

Musk defended himself against Gates' comments, saying he's spent time with Harvard University epidemiologists doing antibody studies and noting Tesla's work with CureVac.

Gates said something about me not knowing what I was doing, Musk told Swisher. It's like, 'Hey, knucklehead, we actually make the vaccine machines for CureVac, that company you're invested in.'

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