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Elon Musk Backtracks on Earlier Comments, Says 'I Don't Hate Apple'

Friday October 9, 2015 4:00 pm PDT by Juli Clover
elonmuskElon Musk raised eyebrows yesterday when he called Apple the "Tesla Graveyard" in an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, but this afternoon he attempted to smooth things over with a series of tweets clarifying his stance on the company.

"Yo, I don't hate Apple," he said before stating "it's a great company with a lot of talented people." Musk says he loves Apple products and he's "glad they're doing an [electric vehicle]."

In the interview, Musk called Apple the Tesla Graveyard after being questioned about Apple hiring some of Tesla's "most important engineers." Musk laughed off the idea that important Tesla employees had left the company for Apple and said people Apple hired had already been fired from Tesla. "If you don't make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple," he said. "I'm not kidding."

Musk also made fun of products like the Apple Watch, the iPad Pro, and the Apple Pencil, comments that he explained in a bit more detail today. In a second tweet, Musk said he wasn't a fan of the Apple Watch's functionality, but expects it to be a much more compelling product in the future.


Apple and Tesla have been at odds in recent months as Apple has entered the car business. The two companies have been poaching employees from one another for several months running, but Musk has maintained that Apple has hired away "very few people" from Tesla despite attempting to lure Tesla employees with salary increases and large signing bonuses.

Tags: Tesla, Elon Musk
[ 491 comments ]


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zakarhino
46 months ago
Funny thing is he's right about the Apple Watch (regardless of context).
Rating: 83 Votes
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iLoveiTunes
46 months ago
Is this the going trend these days ? Make a nasty statement and then backtrack the very next day ?

Sorkin..Musk... I wonder who is next in Line :D
Rating: 40 Votes
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JCrz
46 months ago
Tim Cook must have ordered a "weather-related shipping delay" on Musk's rose-gold iPhone 6s.
Rating: 36 Votes
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needfx
46 months ago
Elon is a Jobs type of guy.
Rating: 34 Votes
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beebarb
46 months ago
Why did he feel clarification was necessary? Anyone with sense knows it was a lighthearted friendly jab.
Calling it 'backtracking' is misrepresenting what was said.
Rating: 32 Votes
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SSD-GUY
46 months ago
I'm sorry, but Elon Musk really comes across as a self-centred egoistic person. I'd rather work for Tim or Jony any day.
Rating: 30 Votes
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logicstudiouser
46 months ago
Who cares! I would much rather hear what he really thinks than some BS that butthurt people told him to say.
Rating: 30 Votes
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AngerDanger
46 months ago
Sure, sure, Elon. Now go stand in the corner with Aaron Sorkin.
Rating: 30 Votes
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John.B
46 months ago
Translation: "Oops, I inadvertently alienated a core demographic..."
Rating: 27 Votes
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justinhu8
46 months ago
Well, I knew this was an Apple circle jerk; but seriously?

Elon Musk is one pompous sounding douche

It's something about his face. It's very punchable.

like Elon, that starts with a P, ends with a Y and has U and S in it.

Rating: 26 Votes

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