Elon Musk has reignited his rivalry with Bill Gates, warning that Gates and other short sellers will suffer losses once Tesla advances in self-driving technology and Optimus bots production. The feud between the tech moguls goes back to disagreements on various topics, but they recently showed amicable behavior in a public appearance.
Elon Musk has reignited his long-standing rivalry with Bill Gates by predicting that Gates will be “obliterated” for shorting Tesla stock. On his social media platform, X, Musk commented in response to a user query about “Tesla bears”—investors who believe Tesla’s stock is overvalued—that anyone holding a short position, including Gates, would face significant losses once Tesla solves self-driving autonomy and begins mass production of its Optimus bots.
Tesla’s stock has seen a significant surge, rising more than 17% after a better-than-expected quarterly vehicle delivery report. This rise has reportedly cost short sellers approximately $3.5 billion. Gates had previously confirmed shorting Tesla stock in 2022, an action that has been a point of contention between the two tech moguls.
The rivalry traces back to early disagreements over the coronavirus pandemic, climate change philanthropy, and electric vehicles, with both billionaires exchanging criticisms and public jabs. Although Gates acknowledged Tesla’s contributions to combating climate change, he maintained that more comprehensive efforts are needed to address global emissions beyond electric cars. Despite these clashes, Musk and Gates appeared amicable during a recent Capitol Hill appearance.
