“Bill Gates has a short position against Tesla” Elon Musk.
Elon Musk, in a series of tweets on Friday (May 27), suggested that Bill Gates held a short position on Tesla Inc, which would require between US$1.5 billion and US$2 billion to close. Musk alleged that the stake was US$500 million and increased after Tesla’s stock price rose significantly. When Gates was asked on CNBC last year if he was shorting Tesla, he responded, “I don’t discuss my investments.” Musk’s comments came in response to a Twitter poll he conducted asking who people trust less – politicians or billionaires. Over 75 percent of respondents indicated they had less trust in politicians.
On Wednesday, Bill Gates, Microsoft’s co-founder, warned that Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, could potentially make Twitter a “worse” platform. Gates was asked about Musk’s potential impact on Twitter following his $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform last month at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit. Gates noted that while Musk has a strong track record, he could potentially amplify the platform’s misinformation issues.
Gates commented, “He has the potential to exacerbate things.” He added, “It’s unclear what he plans to do.” Gates acknowledged Musk’s impressive track record at other companies, describing his tenure as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX as “astonishing.” He believed that Musk had done an excellent job building a top-notch team of engineers at those companies. “I’m somewhat skeptical that it will happen this time,” he said, but added, “we should keep an open mind and never underestimate Elon.”
In the same interview, Gates questioned Musk’s intentions with the microblogging service. Musk has previously stated that his acquisition of Twitter was primarily driven by a desire to restore the platform as a free marketplace of ideas. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to move away from “censorship” and support free speech. Musk has even criticized Twitter’s moderation policies.
Gates questioned the reasonableness of Musk’s efforts to promote free speech. He pointed out that he was often the target of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and that not all misinformation is disseminated through social media. According to the Microsoft co-founder, Musk should not be allowed to say whatever he wants.
Gates urged the SpaceX and Tesla CEO to rethink his plans for Twitter to focus on freedom of speech. He believes that those who run social media platforms have a responsibility to ensure that accurate information is effectively communicated.
