Elon Musk's Toxicity Could Spell Disaster for Tesla | Hacker News Reader

Elon Musk's Toxicity Could Spell Disaster for Tesla

wired.com

40 pointslemonberry21 comments

Every time I drive by a Tesla, the word Nazi pops into my mind.

It's that type of word association and related customer behavior that will be a growing problem for them.

I think an early indicator will be monitoring the secondhand market to determine if there are increasing levels of Tesla's as people move to other brands.

https://archive.is/LUl3E

I believe it.

My wife is boycotting Tesla, specifically because of Elon Musk's role in the destruction of our government. We're actively shopping for an electric car, and Teslas are off the table for us. I would guess that there are others who think the same way.

Given that TSLA is a personality-driven meme stock, it's very vulnerable to public opinion. Musk is alienating a lot of people, and that is likely to reflect in Tesla's valuation and sales.

It hasn't so far...

Dude called that guy who rescued the kids "pedo" and nothing changed.

I don't like it but it doesn't seem like it matters. I won't buy a car from Tesla as I want nothing to do with that guy, but he's the most classic "tech bro" / silicon valley jerk ... and he has managed to entrench himself in the leadership political party who talks about how much they hate "big tech" ... and that's who he is in all the worst ways.

Jan 2025 50% drop compared to January 2024 in Europe is not nothing.

Double digit decline in California.

Meh, the company sales don't seem to really matter much. It's the stock which does affect Elon, and has been long detached from the underlying fundamentals.

The exact level of detachment depends on how many cars Tesla sells. The company does actually have to show consistent sales or the bubble will burst.

I want to agree, but seems to me a lot of people keep buying into the next hype, (or ignoring fundamentals, and focusing on derivatives when it comes to stocks. I mean hell go look at CVNA). Maybe that will change soon. In any case, I was just implying that if people really wanted to boycott Elon, they shouldn't just focus on the company's products, but boycott the stock.

> if people really wanted to boycott Elon, they shouldn't just focus on the company's products, but boycott the stock.

I would agree the equity valuation is essentially the "life force" that gives him power. However he has the advantage of having many wealthy and powerful friends who can invest sovereign wealth funds to keep the valuation high.

The bubble can last a long time. Trump Media & Technology Group has always traded well above fundamentals and likely will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Sample size of 1:

Predates Musks entry to government but I offloaded the Tesla stock I had in my pension as I no longer wanted to be associated.

My next car will be an EV, it won't be a Tesla.

How hard would it be for either of tesla or spacex to unwind, or even just reduce his influence? Does it demand others (middle eastern banking) people to yank on a leash like the Twitter debt, or are the corporate structures able to do this purely from governance obligation perspectives?

Elon owns the largest block of spacex stock and a dramatic majority in voting. He would have to want out for it to happen I think. I do not expect banks would somehow force him out, they knew who they made a deal with.

I believe he owns about 13% of TSLA shares as of now.

I think he his outlived his usefulness to the company (how can he actually be productive considering the things he spending his time on?).

As a shareholder I want him out. Or maybe I'll exit.

US fed gov is long overdue for a hard reset ... Trump is not a politician so is not beholden to the deep state and/or neocons ... DOGE is exactly what is needed ... if you have done your homework to appreciate just how radically efficient Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI are it's a gift to the USA tax payers to have Musk gut out the graft ... government is a monopoly with zero competition run by the non tech savvy ... Tesla is light-years ahead of ICE manufacturers and has an extremely deep bench ... Musk himself says cars will be a minor player in the Tesla portfolio

haters dumping on Musk rn are running scared so expect ongoing hit pieces ... that Wired article is tat ... Buckle up and be prepared to hear devastating reveals from DOGE soon

The one thing rants like yours completely ignore is that he’s not just “revealing”. But he’s taking action outside the authority of the executive branch and you people seem all too happy to cast aside rule of law for your own personal agendas.

Trump was President of the United States for four fucking years and he's in his second term now. You don't get to play the "not a politician" card with him anymore.

Belief in free speech and cutting taxpayer funding of activists is now ‘toxic’?

You can donate your own money voluntarily to UNWRA via their website.

> Belief in free speech

Musk censors free speech: https://www.techdirt.com/2025/02/03/musk-shows-us-what-actua...

> cutting taxpayer funding of activists

Musk gets a lot of taxpayer funding: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/20/business/elon-musk-wealth...

It's the nazi stuff that's considered toxic.

"free speech"

https://bsky.app/profile/thetnholler.bsky.social/post/3licoe...

You mean the freedom to engage in garbage sophistry and calling anyone a "retard" who talks back. Shit like calling it "doxxing" to report on govt employees, then publishing the name of the daughter of a judge he doesn't like?

Sure thing. That doesn't even pass a smell test.

What on the other hand matches his life and the nonsense coming out of his mouth quite perfectly is that he's a malignant narcissist who is running from himself, and will drag down and destroy everything that doesn't resist, in his futile attempt to stave off narcissistic mortification a bit longer.

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