Elon Musk once scolded a Tesla employee for missing a work event to witness the birth of his child

[Guest Kloaked]

I don't know how true this is, but bloody hell. Typically I don't give a shit about people who have money and own businesses that innovate as long as they're, you know, innovating - this guy sounds like a total ass to work for should all this be true.

I don't pay attention to that many news/media outlets so I don't know if there's any truth to this, and I would like to disclose that.

Also, this isn't a tech news post so go read the article you lazy folk: http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-email-tesla-employee-2015-5

[ImBleu]

let the controversy run wild.

[bradscoolio]

Ehhh... as inhuman as this would make him out to be, it's nothing to worry about.

You don't get to be as successful as he without either giving blowjobs to congressmen or being a fruit cake.

 

Good thing I like fruit cake

[wyattzx]

Did you know? A group of soldiers once burst into a man's house, and allegedly shot him in the head. Some of his family were even there. 

 

It was Osama Bin Laden. 

 

Point is? There's two sides to every story.

[BoredErica]

We're still looking at Elon from a very outside perspective. He is a whole new level of obsessed when it comes to his businesses, but I don't really know him. I don't know what context the situation was. The article focused on one small quote in the book - I want to read the words leading up to and shortly after the quote. The comments to the Business Insider article are just toxic. I think the way his brain works, is like an INTJ on mega-steroids.

[Thorium19]

Considering the book this is taken from goes on about how dedicated he is to his work, it would come as no surprise to see him have that sort of attitude. As wrong as it is, there are people like Musk out there who just don't see personal events as a priority in life.

[Guest Kloaked]

Did you know? A group of soldiers once burst into a man's house, and allegedly shot him in the head. Some of his family were even there.

It was Osama Bin Laden.

Point is? There's two sides to every story.

You didn't convince me that what you said is worth making the comparison.

[wyattzx]

You didn't convince me that what you said is worth making the comparison.

One good example of a person like Musk allegedly is, is to look at Apple. Look at who Steve Jobs was. He was an asshole. But nobody can argue that he knew how to create, and run a company.

[Guest Kloaked]

One good example of a person like Musk allegedly is, is to look at Apple. Look at who Steve Jobs was. He was an asshole. But nobody can argue that he knew how to create, and run a company.

I don't see what that has to do with your comparison previously.

[wyattzx]

I don't see what that has to do with your comparison previously.

Oh, sorry. My first comparison was that stories can be read in one light and disregard another entirely. The example with Steve Jobs was more in line with @Thorium19 's point. 

[Guest Kloaked]

Oh, sorry. My first comparison was that stories can be read in one light and disregard another entirely. The example with Steve Jobs was more in line with @Thorium19 's point.

O I C.

Well in any regard, he'd still look like a complete ass either way I think.

[wyattzx]

O I C.

Well in any regard, he'd still look like a complete ass either way I think.

A complete ass who knows how to run a company, and how to get shit done. 

[Guest Kloaked]

A complete ass who knows how to run a company, and how to get shit done.

Yes, but I don't think that justifies him being an ass.

Thats like saying you have a best friend who does nothing but throw shit in your face all day, figuratively, but it's okay since he knows how to run a company and get shit done.

Dunno about you, but I'd sever that relationship immediately.

[BoredErica]

 

Considering the book this is taken from goes on about how dedicated he is to his work, it would come as no surprise to see him have that sort of attitude. As wrong as it is, there are people like Musk out there who just don't see personal events as a priority in life.

If you take the most negative and unreasonable things I've ever said or done, it will make me look like a psychopath. I would be saddened if I was judged by my worst actions. I'm not sure what the context is - was he pissed drunk? Does he already hate that particular employee for some reason? Was he super stressed from something? There really are two sides to every story... sometimes the other side is complete bullshit, but we won't know til' we look at it.

 

If Elon ends up changing the world, any level of douchebagness he may or may not have is no longer important. If I give an (overly) optimistic guess of what Elon could do, say, changing USA to solely renewable energy - that sort of contribution would far outweighs whatever personal problems he may have. We can even blood sacrifice some babies for that, it's that important.

 

He could still be a major douchebag though, sure. But I give him a pass if he is.

 

Yes, but I don't think that justifies him being an ass.

Thats like saying you have a best friend who does nothing but throw shit in your face all day, figuratively, but it's okay since he knows how to run a company and get shit done.

Dunno about you, but I'd sever that relationship immediately.

 

I was listening to a podcast, and one of the guests was a friend of Elon. He recalls when Elon was close to having a nervous breakdown with his companies. There he told him about his idea for his Tesla cars... and he said, cool car, I'll take two, here's $50k. And he tells his wife, "We're never going to see a return on this, but I gotta support my friend." And 2 years later the checks were cashed, Elon gives him the first Tesla along with another, and then gives him back $250k as a thank you. And then, the guy takes the 250k and donates it to charity. He says no, you really don't need to give me the first car... and Elon says no, you were the first to buy the car, it belongs to you. And the guy on the podcast is talking about how he's really a funny guy when you get to know him, but he's different in front of a crowd, standing in front of a screen for his keynote.

 

This is a guy that, if he is a douche, is like the best kind of douche: The guy who is so consumed by trying to change the world for the better, he puts in ALL of his assets into the company. He sleeps over in friend's houses. Before he got his business in college he would start a conversation with "Do you think about electric cars? I think about electric cars a lot." He repays his loans with ridiculous interest. His latest keynote was mostly about climate change, not about "omgerd dis is the hottest product rite nao, buy it!". It's very refreshing to see this different approach. It seems self-transcendental. He is so consumed, he doesn't really care for his own well-being, let alone that of others. SpaceX... I doubt this is any sort of scheme for self-gain. He really feels that SpaceX is taking a step in the right direction for humanity.

 

People are complicated. There are times when we are just total pricks. Maybe sometimes what we need is to sit down and have a coffee with somebody to get to know them... not through Twitter or public meetings or random quotes from a book. (And I hope the book's quotes are accurate.)

 

Stewie in Family Guy once said... "You're a douche... but you're MY douche! "

[BoredErica]

Okie I'm done editing my post, lol. 

[Guest Kloaked]

Okie I'm done editing my post, lol.

Well done, sir.

[Leonard]

Elon Musk...what a name.

[Yoinkerman]

Lol he can email me whatever he wants, I wouldn't miss the birth of my child, and that's that.

Edit: even if he did, who cares?

[colonel_mortis]

Elon Musk tweeted to deny this claim:

So this is probably completely fake, or some joke that somebody made that got taken the wrong way and eventually made its way into the book that this article cites from.

[Guest Philosophy]

And I care why? He is a business owner a good one at that. People tend to blow things out of proportion. 

[Trik'Stari]

All CEO's are slightly sociopathic, how is this a surprise to anyone?

[HippY]

Elon Musk tweeted to deny this claim:

 

So this is probably completely fake, or some joke that somebody made that got taken the wrong way and eventually made its way into the book that this article cites from.

So you are telling me, that a person, who had a job of writing about another persons life/work, used negative context and/or made up things to get more sales and publicity?

 

 

I do not believe you as it never happened before 

 

 

/s

[Misanthrope]

I tend to believe him when he denies it, however the bigger issue is just how many of you are willing to look past it "Oh he's passionate about work!" Yes because he's a fucking millionaire and everybody gets to do what he wants. Most people are usually regular office employees doing menial, repetitive tasks like balance budgets, create sales reports, talk to distributors, do accounting, etc. 

 

Not everybody who works for a passionate company is a passionate engineer trying to revolutionize the world, in fact most of those guys depend on people doing menial tasks for them they would refuse to do otherwise. At the very least they should be thankful and understanding of other people doing shit jobs that enable them to do their dream job and cut em some fucking slack. You all need to change your attitudes.

[BoredErica]

Elon Musk tweeted to deny this claim:

So this is probably completely fake, or some joke that somebody made that got taken the wrong way and eventually made its way into the book that this article cites from.

I checked Ashlee's Twitter. It looks like she has not responded to Elon. Of course, Elon's two tweets as you showed were not directed @, and it's only been 24-48 hours. It's possible she may have missed his Tweet. I wonder what she has to say about Elon's denial.

[Misanthrope]

I checked Ashlee's Twitter. It looks like she has not responded to Elon. Of course, Elon's two tweets as you showed were not directed @AshleeFor, and it's only been 24-48 hours. It's possible she may have missed his Tweet. I wonder what she has to say about Elon's denial.

 

You probably won't get a heated interchange. In this type of scenario, a Lawyer will contact the other parties Lawyer and Elon will settle with a nda condition to avoid looking guilty of it, that's the best possible outcome he can get out of it to make it a non-issue and quietly go away.

 

If he goes all ballistic it can easily become a "he said, she said" kind of deal that would infinitely benefit the writer and infinitely damage Elon regardless of who's right.