Musk has stated that the attacks on Tesla by Bill Gates prove he is not serious about helping reduce global warming. The CEO of Tesla thinks it is wrong to insult billionaires, specifically if they use their wealth to make people happy.
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk recently said on Twitter that Bill Gates has a short position against Tesla. The CEO of the electric car company added that he would now need between USD 1.5 and USD 2 billion to close it.
Musk explained that the short position initially amounted to USD 500 million but increased after Tesla rose significantly.
The entrepreneur conducted a survey to ask his followers to decide who they trusted less between politicians and billionaires. Over 75% of the respondents said they had less confidence in politicians.
In addition, Musk replied to conservative author Brigette Gamble that he did not trust Bill Gates. He expressed that Gates has a short position against Tesla while claiming to help reduce global warming.
The shares of Tesla recently rose by 7.33% but have gone down by almost 37% in 2022. According to MarketWatch, those shares are trading at USD 765.17 while writing this article.
That is not the first time Musk has criticized Bill Gates for betting against Tesla stock. He has stated that the attacks on Tesla by the co-creator of Microsoft prove he is not serious about his fight against climate change.
A short position in stocks is a financial trade done to earn a profit when the value of an asset decreases.
Musk Thinks It Is Foolish to Use the Word Billionaire as an Insult
Before conducting his survey, Musk commented on Twitter that it is wrong and foolish to use the word billionaire as an insult. In that sense, he said that he was using his wealth to create products that make millions of people happy.
One hour later, the CEO of Tesla carried out a survey to ask his 95 million followers who they trusted less between politicians and billionaires. The consultation revealed that over 2.5 million users had less trust in politicians.
Musk tagged Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who recently said she would replace her Tesla with an electric car made by a unionized company. At the same time, the businessman publicly challenged the government official to conduct the same survey on her Twitter account.
Tesla has generated controversy concerning its labor treatment due to numerous conflicts with labor unions.
The pro-billionaire tweets from Musk arrived just as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, ended. That meeting among tycoons and billionaires has faced many criticisms because some people with considerable fortunes do not help solve current world problems. That is particularly evident in the current situation in which energy, food, and fuel prices have reached unprecedented highs.
According to American business magazine Forbes, Elon Musk is currently the wealthiest person, with a fortune amounting to USD 219 billion. In December, news magazine Time also commented that he is one of the most influential men in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
By Alexander Salazar
