Elon Musk is CEO of the world’s biggest electric car manufacturer, Tesla. The company relies on the demand for renewable energy demand in order to maintain it’s nearly $1 trillion market cap. One would think it would behoove Musk to want fossil fuels to go away as quickly as possible.
But on top of being the richest man in the world, Musk prides himself on being a pragmatic human being. In times like these with prices skyrocketing and people across the globe hurting financially, he said something that actually hurts his own fortune. He called for fossil fuel production to increase.
“Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.”
Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately.
Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2022
And in case anyone wasn’t aware of the implication, he alerted everyone to the personal sacrifice his recommendation would bring.
“Obviously, this would negatively affect Tesla, but sustainable energy solutions simply cannot react instantaneously to make up for Russian oil & gas exports.”
Obviously, this would negatively affect Tesla, but sustainable energy solutions simply cannot react instantaneously to make up for Russian oil & gas exports.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2022
Will this suggestion cost him any actual money? No. He doesn’t make policy. It’s just a Tweet, and even though he is a powerful and influential man, nobody’s going to change policy because of his Tweet.
As much as I appreciate Musk’s bravado, he’s a calculating and manipulative man who knows how to stir the public behind him. He picks and chooses his battles appropriately even if sometimes he errs on the side of ego. That’s not a real criticism. He is who he is and he does what he does. Love him or hate him, he’s Elon Musk.
