Key Points Elon Musk's Remote Interview with Michelle Hussein, Qatar Economic Forum

Date: May 20, 2025

Reporter: Bloomberg, hosted by Michelle Hussein

Format: Remote interview

Subject: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, and government advisor

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Key Points from the Interview

1. Government Role and Travel Load

• Musk is now serving as a federal government advisor and meets weekly with Cabinet-level officials.

• His schedule spans Silicon Valley, Austin, LA, and DC, with direct meetings with President Trump.

2. Tesla Performance & Public Backlash

• Musk claimed Tesla’s downturn had already reversed, citing U.S. and global demand (excluding Europe).

• He dismissed falling European sales as politically motivated backlash, citing customers labeling him “crazy.”

• He emphasized stock market confidence, pointing to Tesla’s $1 trillion market cap.

• Musk maintained he will remain CEO—“unless I die”—and asserted that voting control is more important to him than compensation.

3. Threats and Violence

• Musk referenced violent attacks on Tesla showrooms and personal threats, describing it as a “massive violent reaction” to his politics.

• He stated some perpetrators are facing prison and accused parts of the legacy media of implicitly justifying the violence.

4. Starlink, Ukraine, and South Africa

• Musk defended Starlink’s role in global internet access, noting approvals in 130 countries.

• Responding to criticism over South African market access, Musk condemned the country’s Black Economic Empowerment laws as “racist.”

• He rejected the idea that Starlink gaining access in South Africa around a White House visit was improper.

5. SpaceX and Defense

• SpaceX has no intention of entering the weapons industry, despite frequent government requests.

• The company now launches 90% of all global orbital payloads and dominates satellite deployment.

6. Starlink IPO & Legal Reform

• Starlink may go public “at some point,” but Musk criticized the U.S. legal environment for shareholder lawsuits.

• He blamed the plaintiffs’ bar and Democratic donors for obstructing reform, while praising Texas for passing limits.

7. OpenAI Lawsuit & AI Regulation

• Musk confirmed that his lawsuit against OpenAI will proceed.

• He accused OpenAI of betraying its mission and likened their shift to a for-profit model to a “lumber company cutting down the Amazon.”

• Musk reiterated his call for “referees” in AI regulation, but warned against overregulation across all sectors.

8. Government Conflict of Interest Allegations

• Musk denied any conflict between his government advisory role and his companies’ federal contracts.

• He emphasized transparency via the Doge.gov portal and stated, “We are advisors, not dictators.”

9. USAID, PEPFAR & Foreign Aid Cuts

• Musk dismissed claims that USAID or PEPFAR cuts would lead to millions of deaths.

• He accused the programs of fraud and challenged critics to provide evidence.

• When presented with PEPFAR data by Hussein, Musk insisted the program was continuing and offered to review it if the data were proven.

10. Political Spending & Influence

• Musk said he plans to reduce political spending in the future: “I think I’ve done enough.”

• He denied any ongoing contact with Vladimir Putin beyond a single video call five years ago.

11. Year Ahead & Innovation Milestones

• Key projects:

• Fully reusable Starship

• Neuralink “telepathy” and “blindsight” trials

• Austin rollout of full self-driving Teslas

• Advancements toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

Media Conflict & Commentary Section

Elon's Media Commentary

On European Tesla Critics:

“Some people are driving around with stickers saying, ‘I bought this before Elon was crazy.’”

“Yes, we’ve lost some sales on the left, but gained them on the right.”

On Violence and Press Coverage:

“Massive violence was committed against my companies.”

“A number of them are going to prison, and they deserve it.”

“Legacy media has tried to justify it. Shame on them.”

On Legal System & Class Action Lawsuits:

“The U.S. needs reform. Shareholder lawsuits are out of control.”

“Plaintiffs’ lawyers are pretending to represent shareholders… even if shareholders vote against the lawsuit.”

On South African Law:

“There are now 140 racist laws in South Africa that give preference based on race.”

“I was born there and can’t get a license because I’m not Black.”

On Bloomberg & The Wall Street Journal:

“Is there a worse publication on the face of the Earth than The Wall Street Journal?”

“I wouldn’t use it to line a cage for paratrooping.”

On the Interview Style Itself:

“You’re trapped in the NPC dialogue tree of a conventional journalist.”

“It’s like talking to a computer.”