Elon Musk is an atypical character.
It's hard to get bored with him.
The CEO of Tesla (TSLA) is a daily user of Twitter (TWTR), the social network which he is in the process of finalizing the acquisition of for $44 billion after six months of an incredible saga.
The serial entrepreneur is on Twitter almost every day. He chats with his millions of fans and shares his opinions on the issues that animate and/or concern him.
He does not hesitate to use the platform to respond to his detractors. Most surprisingly, Musk doesn't bother to use language that very few CEOs would dare to use for fear of provoking a controversy that could cost them their job.
But you have to believe that Musk, considered a genius by many people, is different. He is a boss to whom the classic rules don't apply. Musk writes his own rules.
'Ignorance'
One of his rules is that he doesn't care what people say. He has thus built a combative side, which wants him to respond to people he perceives as enemies without delay. There is no communication filter. Sometimes his attacks against his opponents are violent.
Former World Chess Master Garry Kasparov has just paid the price over his comments on a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia.
For the critics or those who say they're pragmatists, they're looking for some kind of settlement you tell them what?" Kasparov was asked.
"I told then that it's moral idiocy; I told that it's ignorance of lessons of history," the former Chess Master responded.
Kasparov was then asked what he says to those who say that the cost to the world is too high. This question refers to recent statements by Musk, one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters, warning against an escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war into an all-out war.
The billionaire explains that this conflict can become a third world war with the use of nuclear weapons. It is this fear which pushed him to propose a very controversial peace, which was largely rejected by the Ukrainians who believe that it mirrors the Russian demands.
"Absolute shame," Kasparov responded. "The cost is huge but Ukraine is paying this cost. And they're willing to pay the cost for the liberation of their country. So why are people sitting in the comfort of their mansions in Silicon Valley telling Ukraine how to conduct their own affairs."
'Idiot' and 'Douche'
Musk felt that these responses were a personal attack on his person. He therefore did not hesitate to react, using words that rarely come out of CEOs' mouths in public.
"While it’s true that Kasparov is almost as good at playing chess as my iPhone, he is otherwise an idiot," the tech tycoon responded.
He continued:
"And I don’t even own a house, let alone a 'mansion', you douche."
The richest man in the world, with an estimated fortune of $204 billion as of October 21 according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, moved to Texas at the end of 2021. His two main companies - SpaceX and Tesla - now have their respective headquarters there.
He has sold a large part of his real estate assets and, according to him, lives in a "little house."
"Actually, I live in a little house on Weems St that cost ~$50k (but I’ve done a lot with the place!)," Musk said on September 21.
Musk repeated this in his response to Kasparov on October 24. In fact, he took advantage of a comment from a Twitter user.
"Not to agree or disagree, but you also don't live in Silicon Valley anymore 😂," the user said.
"Yeah, I’m back to spare bedroom /couch surfing at friend’s houses in Silicon Valley, which I did for about a decade," the billionaire said. "Frankly, I like it this way, as I get to see my friends, who I love, more often."
This isn't the first time Musk and Kasparov have exchanged words. In early October, there had already been harsh words between the two men when Musk proposed his peace initiative.
"We gave Starlinks to Ukraine & lost $80M+ in doing so, while putting SpaceX & myself at serious risk of Russian cyberattack," he responded to Kasparov who told him that his peace plan was a "repetition of Kremlin propaganda."
"What have you done besides tweet?" Musk added.
