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

Thursday October 8, 2015 7:18 pm PDT by Husain Sumra
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
Tags: Tesla, Elon Musk
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iamMacPerson
44 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…
Rating: 98 Votes
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phantom76
44 months ago
Apparently, even Tesla seems to be worried. Good signs.
Rating: 85 Votes
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Jeremy1026
44 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.
Rating: 62 Votes
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Roller
44 months ago
No matter how successful Tesla is, or how great their cars are, Musk's comments display a lack of class.
Rating: 61 Votes
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jwwetzel
44 months ago
Holy cow. Elon Musk needs to learn to reel it in. This post made me cringe.
Rating: 52 Votes
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haruhiko
44 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?
Rating: 34 Votes
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AustinIllini
44 months ago
Tesla is everything Apple's automotive arm wants to be.
Rating: 29 Votes
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Jsameds
44 months ago
Ego Musk
Rating: 28 Votes
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mattopotamus
44 months ago
That apple watch that is selling really well. What a horrid analogy he made.

With that statement, he should be worried.
Rating: 28 Votes
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HiRez
44 months ago
So let me get this straight. All the guys who left Tesla for Apple are losers and castoffs, but all the guys who left Apple for Tesla are the best of the best?
Rating: 20 Votes

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