From Elon Musk’s feud with Bill Gates to shocking leaked text messages to billionaire feuds breaking out on Twitter
ELON Musk’s new biography reveals lyrics and other details about his feud with Bill Gates.
The two billionaires had a very public dispute in 2022 over differences in philanthropy and finances. Musk and Gates revealed many details about their dispute, but the new biography gave it all away.
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Walter Isaacson’s new book “Elon Musk” hits shelves on Tuesday, but details about the thorny topics, particularly the strange relationship between the two billionaires, are already trickling out.
Musk is currently the richest man in the world, a title Gates held before he began his philanthropic efforts. It seems that these efforts lie at the core of the differences between the two.
“Hey, I’d like to visit and talk about philanthropy and climate,” Gates wrote to Musk in 2022, according to Isaacson.
According to Isaacson, Musk had founded a $5.7 billion charity in 2022, apparently for tax reasons, and Gates wanted to change Musk’s reasons for philanthropy. He visited the Tesla Gigafactory in March 2022 to see Tesla’s operations and speak with Musk.
“Just landed,” Gates wrote.
“Cool,” Musk wrote back.
Isaacson was able to speak to both Musk and Gates about their conversations.
Gates questioned Musk’s aspirations for electric vehicles, solar energy and Mars exploration. He called Musk’s plans to colonize the Red Planet “bizarre thinking.”
Gates also tried to recruit Musk for his “The Giving Pledge” initiative, in which several ultra-wealthy billionaires pledge to give away their wealth. Musk is not known for his charitable efforts, particularly his feud with the head of the U.N. Food Program.
However, last year Musk donated $1.9 billion worth of Tesla shares to an undisclosed charity. Still, he let Gates know what he thought of the charity.
“Most philanthropy has been crap,” he said, and Gates could “do more good on climate change by investing in Tesla,” Musk said, according to Isaacson.
Musk then challenged Gates to take a short position on Tesla shares, which cost Gates $1.5 billion. When Gates admitted this, Musk declined any philanthropic efforts with him.
“Sorry…I can’t take your climate philanthropy seriously,” Musk wrote to Gates.
Musk went to Twitter to mock Gates’ appearance and insulted him in a text message to Isaacson.
“At this point, I am convinced that he is absolutely insane,” Musk Isaacson wrote. “I actually wanted to like him.”
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