Elon Musk: If You Don't Make It at Tesla, You Go Work at Apple

elonmuskIn a new interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt (via Business Insider), Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke about his thoughts on the much-rumored Apple Car. Additionally, Musk was asked what he thought about Apple hiring away some of Tesla's "most important engineers."

Important engineers? They have hired people we’ve fired. We always jokingly call Apple the “Tesla Graveyard.” If you don’t make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple. I’m not kidding.

Musk was then asked whether he takes Apple's car ambitions seriously, to which he joked "did you ever take a look at the Apple Watch?" He went on to say that it was good Apple was moving toward and investing in a car and that it's the "next logical thing" for the company to offer "significant innovation."

The Tesla CEO went on to poke fun at the newly announced Apple Pencil and iPad Pro, saying that innovation in the form of a new pencil or a bigger iPad are "not relevant enough." However, Musk cautions that cars are far more complex than smartphones and smartwatches. "You can't just go to a supplier like Foxconn and say: Build me a car," Musk told the German newspaper.

Apple and Tesla have hired each other's employees over the course of the last year, with Musk saying that Apple has hired away "very few people" from the car company despite offering $250,000 signing bonuses and 60 percent salary increases to its employees. Tesla has hired nearly 150 Apple employees.

Related Roundup: Apple Car

Top Rated Comments

iamMacPerson Avatar
100 months ago
Musk wouldn't be talking **** if he wasn't concerned about Apple's potential car. Makes me think he might know something that the rest of us don't about Apple's plans.
Reminds me of what Balmer said about the iPhone…
Score: 98 Votes (Like | Disagree)
phantom76 Avatar
100 months ago
Apparently, even Tesla seems to be worried. Good signs.
Score: 85 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jeremy1026 Avatar
100 months ago
Musk wouldn't be talking **** if he wasn't concerned about Apple's potential car. Makes me think he might know something that the rest of us don't about Apple's plans.
Score: 62 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Roller Avatar
100 months ago
No matter how successful Tesla is, or how great their cars are, Musk's comments display a lack of class.
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jwwetzel Avatar
100 months ago
Holy cow. Elon Musk needs to learn to reel it in. This post made me cringe.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
100 months ago
No matter how successful Tesla is, or how great their cars are, Musk's comments display a lack of class.
He doesn't need to have class. Steve Jobs didn't have class. He straight out called people bozos if he didn't like them.

Anyway, Musk is Tesla's boss. What do you expect him to say?
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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