Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested on X that Bill Gates could face bankruptcy if Tesla becomes “the world’s most valuable company by far.” The quip highlights their ongoing feud over Gates’ short position in Tesla.
Tesla’s market cap currently stands at $1.251 trillion, trailing Apple’s $3.729 trillion. For Tesla to claim the top spot, its valuation would need to grow nearly 200%.
The tension reportedly started when Gates took a short position in Tesla stock, losing $1.5 billion, as detailed in Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography of Musk. A meeting in 2022 at Tesla’s Austin factory intensified the dispute. Gates apologized for the short position, but Musk criticized him for betting against an electric vehicle company while advocating for climate change solutions.
“How can someone say they are passionate about fighting climate change and then do something that reduced the overall investment in the company doing the most?” Musk said in the biography.