NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday that he works “full time… from morning to night, seven days a week” when asked about his recent acquisition of Twitter and his leadership. Automaker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O).
“I’ve got a lot of work on my plate, that’s for sure,” Musk said via video link at a business conference on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali.
Musk is the CEO of both companies and runs rocket company SpaceX, brain-chip startup Neuralink and tunnel company Boring. Wearing a batik shirt sent by organizers, he appeared on a candle-lit screen and explained that he was speaking from a place where he had lost power.
Tesla investors worry that Musk, a self-confessed “nanomanager” who has been personally involved in operational decisions ranging from car styling to supply chain issues, is being distracted at a crucial time for the world’s largest electric vehicle maker.
Tesla’s shares have halved in value since early April, when he revealed he took the stock on Twitter. His Tesla stock sales increased pressure, including another $4 billion last week to bring his Twitter-related sales to $20 billion.
Asked about the complexity of industrial supply chains from China and the dangers posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Musk returned to how busy he was.
Responding to the observation that many business leaders in Asia want to be “the Elon Musk of the East,” Musk said: “I would be careful what you wish for. I don’t know how many people actually want to be me . . . They want to be what they imagine I am and what I actually am.” No. The next step is to torture myself, obviously.”
Musk also said he would like to see Twitter support video and long-form video so that content creators can live on the platform, but did not provide details. His remarks were broadcast live on Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) Network light.
Indonesia is trying to secure a deal with Tesla on battery investment and a possible SpaceX rocket launch pad.
Musk didn’t make any guarantees on either of those, but said Indonesia plays a big role in the electric vehicle supply chain and that it makes sense “in the long run” for SpaceX to have multiple launch points around the world.
It’s unclear where Musk was during the Bali event. According to Musk’s Twitter account, @ElonJet, which tracks his Gulfstream G650, his personal jet has been in Austin, Texas, Tesla’s headquarters, for the weekend.
“I’m watching this video and it’s really weird,” Musk said. “I sit here in the dark surrounded by candles.”
Musk added that he believes the economy will make the transition to sustainable energy, adding that “it’s just a question of how long.” He said space exploration should be a priority “so we can understand the nature of the universe and our place in it.”
“Maybe we’ll find alien civilizations or civilizations from millions of years ago, but we’re seeing ruins of ancient civilizations. I think that would be incredibly interesting,” he said.
Report by Laika Kihara; Written by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Edwina Gibbs
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