Elon Musk makes shocking claim: Bill Gates will go bankrupt if this happens
The comment escalates a long-standing tension between the two billionaires, which stems from Gates’ short position on Tesla stock.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently made headlines when he wrote on his personal social network X that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates could go “bankrupt” if Tesla became “the most valuable company in the world”. This comment escalates a long-standing tension between the two billionaires, which stems from Gates’ short position on Tesla stock (the act of betting that Tesla’s stock price will fall).
Elon Musk and Bill Gates have long been at odds
The source of the conflict
Musk’s statement came as Tesla’s market capitalization hit $1.251 trillion, significantly lower than Apple’s $3.729 trillion. Tesla needs to grow nearly 200% to surpass Apple as the world’s most valuable company.
The tensions between Musk and Gates began with Gates’ undisclosed short position on Tesla stock. According to Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography, the bet reportedly cost Gates $1.5 billion.
When asked about the investment in a 2021 interview with CNBC, Gates declined to comment directly on his views, but still praised Tesla’s achievements. “What Elon has done with Tesla is amazing,” he said.
The tension between the two billionaires peaked during a March 2022 meeting at Tesla’s Austin factory, where the two discussed philanthropy and climate change. There, Gates apologized to Musk for his short position. However, according to Isaacson’s book, Musk did not accept the apology, arguing that Gates’ actions contradicted his stated support for fighting climate change.
“It’s baffling that someone who claims to care about climate change would bet against the world’s largest electric car company,” Musk told Isaacson.
Although the dispute has not been resolved, Gates has publicly acknowledged Musk’s contributions. At a dinner in Washington D.C., Gates said: “No one in our time has done more to push the boundaries of science and innovation than he has.”
Tesla stock and the dream of “the world’s most valuable company”
Since the beginning of 2024, Tesla shares have increased 56.91%, boosted by Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election and the growing relationship between Trump and Musk. The victory also put Musk on the shortlist to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
To become the world’s most valuable company, Tesla will have to surpass many other technology giants such as Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Alphabet, NVIDIA and even oil giant Saudi Aramco.
Currently, Elon Musk leads the global billionaire rankings with a net worth of $376 billion, while Bill Gates is ranked 6th with $166 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
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