In earnings calls Wednesday, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg appeared to be the levelheaded, science-based executive who thinks through complex problems, while Tesla's Elon Musk sounded more like Mr. Burns from “The Simpsons,” writes Therese Poletti.
Mark Zuckerberg has spent much of the past two years facing widespread vitriol about Facebook Inc.’s huge privacy lapses, while Elon Musk has bathed in rabid fans’ lionization of him as a genius who will change the world.
That wasn’t enough for Musk, who had already proclaimed “Free America Now” and congratulated Texas for its plans to reopen some businesses in a series of tweets in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. The executive — who stands to reap a huge windfall if Tesla can maintain its current market capitalization, which could depend on his Fremont factory reopening — continued the rant on a conference call with analysts Wednesday.
It would be easy to point out that Zuckerberg’s stance is beneficial for his company: Facebook does benefit from everyone staying at home, with its monthly average users climbing 10% in the quarter. Facebook is also seeing a “broad-based pullback” in advertising, though, and it declined to give any future guidance.Beyond their differences in opinion on reopening society, Zuckerberg and Musk’s general approaches to discussing the disease were polar opposites.
Musk did not mention nor thank Tesla employees once during the call. In a 24-page letter to investors to detail first-quarter earnings, the words “coronavirus,” “COVID-19” or “virus” did not appear once, with the pandemic only referred to as “global operational challenges” and “temporary suspension of production and deliveries.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Elon Musk to personally insure Tesla board, citing 'high premiums' - Business InsiderTesla isn't a stranger to high insurance costs for its vehicles, and last year launched an insurance product for its owners in California.
Read more »
Tesla's Musk nears $750 million options payday ahead of resultsTesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk is on the cusp of a roughly $750 million payday as the electric carmaker's stock recovers from a slump caused by the coronavirus, which led the company to close its factories and furlough workers.
Read more »
'FREE AMERICA NOW': Elon Musk is now protesting US lockdowns - Business InsiderMusk's reaction to the coronavirus crisis has been a confusing mix.
Read more »
Elon Musk blasts coronavirus lockdowns: 'FREE AMERICA NOW''Reopen with care and appropriate protection, but don't put everyone under de facto house arrest,' the Tesla CEO wrote after health officials in California extended stay-at-home orders.
Read more »
Tesla’s Elon Musk inches closer to his big paydayElon Musk stands to receive options to purchase shares if Tesla reaches certain benchmarks, an important one being a market capitalization averaging $100 billion for six months. Tesla predicted it will hit that milestone within the next two months.
Read more »