Elon, Inc.
Bloomberg
Elon Musk’s sprawling business empire has granted the billionaire a degree of power and global influence that transcends the industries he’s reshaped. He is the leader of no fewer than six hugely influential companies, spanning electric vehicles to wartime communications, and their innovations could shape the fates of nations.
Musk is polarizing, confounding and inescapable. And he is the biggest business story of our time.
Each week, listen in as host David Papadopoulos convenes a panel of Bloomberg Businessweek journalists who are tracking Musk’s companies and the surprising ways they intersect. They break down the business mogul's latest moves and analyze what they could mean for us all.
Musk is polarizing, confounding and inescapable. And he is the biggest business story of our time.
Each week, listen in as host David Papadopoulos convenes a panel of Bloomberg Businessweek journalists who are tracking Musk’s companies and the surprising ways they intersect. They break down the business mogul's latest moves and analyze what they could mean for us all.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 9, 2024 • 28min
Elon's Bad Trip
In this podcast, the hosts discuss the Wall Street Journal's report on Elon Musk's alleged drug use and its impact on his companies. They also explore controversies surrounding drug testing at SpaceX, labor relations issues, and the feud between Musk and Mark Cuban on diversity in the workplace. Additionally, they touch on diversity efforts at SpaceX and the importance of addressing workplace allegations.
Jan 2, 2024 • 26min
Tesla Slows Down, X's Value Drops and 2024 is Just Getting Started
Tesla's leadership in electric cars is slipping as BYD becomes its most important competitor. Elon Musk's social media platform, X, continues to lose value. Predictions for 2024 include Musk's potential feuds with the US government and his friendship with the far-right Italian Prime Minister.
Dec 26, 2023 • 38min
Elon Musk Made 2023 All About Him
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, had a challenging year in 2023. The podcast discusses Musk's ups and downs, his controversial behavior on social media, his fascination with the letter X, and his unconventional leadership of a social media website. They also explore his discussions about the theory of ancient aliens and speculate on a potential cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg.
Dec 19, 2023 • 31min
Grok Is Good, Actually, and a Tesla Recall
Elon Musk's new AI chatbot, Grok, surprisingly outperforms leading competitors. The podcast also covers the contradiction of X's reputation, the use of AI in relation to X Premium, the truth about Tesla's Autopilot technology, concerns and recall, and concludes with sponsor ads.
Dec 12, 2023 • 29min
Tesla’s First Strike and Alex Jones’ Return to X
In this episode, Bloomberg News editor Craig Trudell joins the podcast to discuss Tesla's first strike led by mechanics in Sweden, which has caused work stoppages and blockades in neighboring countries. The strikes shed light on Elon Musk's polarizing personal brand. The chapter also explores the UAW's unionization efforts at Tesla and speculates about Apple banning Musk while discussing Alex Jones' presence on different platforms.
Dec 5, 2023 • 32min
Deciphering Elon Musk's Politics
This time we assess the aftermath of an especially gonzo week in the life of Elon Musk—one in which the billionaire CEO delivered the first production units of his company’s latest vehicle (the Cybertruck), weighed in on his preferred candidates for the 2024 election (neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden) and offered a message to the chief executive of one of America’s most beloved brands (“Go f— yourself”). Such trash talk and worse has left Musk somewhat isolated, with advertisers like Disney still avoiding his social media platform over his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 28, 2023 • 29min
The Cybertruck Is Coming, Whether Tesla Is Ready or Not
Bloomberg senior reporter discusses Tesla's Cybertruck, its delays and challenges. Reporter talks about Elon Musk's recent trip to the Israel-Gaza border. They explore controversies, production challenges, and speculate on the appeal of the Cybertruck to sensible car buyers.
Nov 21, 2023 • 27min
Elon Goes 'Thermonuclear'
It’s been about a week since X-owner Elon Musk ignited a firestorm by endorsing antisemitic and racist posts on his social media platform. Since then, X Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino has been scrambling to contain the fallout as major advertisers like IBM, Sony, Discovery, Apple and CBS stopped or paused spending on the site. We take a look at what has happened. Also, how does the OpenAI mess impact Musk?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 17, 2023 • 25min
Emergency Pod: The Impact of Musk Endorsing Antisemitism
Emergency pod! We are back in the studio for a second time this week to discuss the fallout of recent X posts by Elon Musk. Musk—who often posts controversial material—has taken things a step further in recent days, openly praising racist and antisemitic posts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 14, 2023 • 27min
"Making Money on Space Is Still Extremely Difficult"
On Friday, SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Starship spacecraft for the second time. The first time yielded… mixed results. It was detonated within minutes of launch. In this episode we look back at what went wrong the first time, look ahead to the coming launch, and figure out what’s so difficult about space travel anyway. We also take a look at some recent statements from Elon on things like OpenAI and freedom of speech. This episode is hosted by Bloomberg executive editor David Papadopoulos, who is joined by Bloomberg Businessweek senior reporter Max Chafkin, Bloomberg editor Sarah Frier and space reporter Loren Grush.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
