“The Worst Is Yet To Come”, Says Emotional Elon Musk; Accepts Intake Of Pills For Insomnia
Tesla CEO who caused quite a commotion with his ‘taking Tesla private’ tweet recently, has opened up in an interview with the New York Times where he discussed his recent tweets and how the pressure is taking a toll on him.
The telephonic interview that lasted over an hour saw Musk choking at times while discussing the story behind the tweet amongst other things that are affecting his physical and mental health.
Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018
Describing the past year as “excruciating” and “most painful year of career,” Musk said that the things are a bit shaky since the tweet. He said that he typed the fateful tweet en route to the airport with an aim to inspire transparency with it.
Soon after the tweet that was posted during the middle of the day, Tesla’s shares soared, and investors and journalists were taken aback by Musk’s plan of taking Tesla private. The figure $420 in the tweet made it more cryptic.
When asked about the significance of $420 in his tweet, Musk said, “It seemed like better karma at $420 than at $419. But I was not on weed, to be clear. Weed is not helpful for productivity. There’s a reason for the word ‘stoned.’ You just sit there like a stone on weed.”
Musk said that he did not regret the tweet and he will keep on Tweeting despite advice from the board members who have asked him to concentrate on making cars and rockets instead of spending time on Twitter.
Musk described his struggle by adding that he nearly missed his brother’s wedding and spent his birthday in office trying to meet the deadlines set for the launch of the new Tesla models. His board members have expressed concern over the increasing pressure on him and his usage of Ambien, a sedative used for treating insomnia.
Bringing the depravity of the situation to the surface, Musk said that he has not taken leaves of more than a week from work since 2001.
“There were times when I didn’t leave the factory for three or four days — days when I didn’t go outside,”
The hectic schedule has not allowed him to spend time with his children and friends. Speaking emotionally, Musk said that he spent the entire day of his 47th birthday at work. “All night – no friends, nothing.”, he added.
Musk confessed that he takes Ambient sometimes to get rid of insomnia. “It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien,” he said.
You can get the idea of the plight of Elon Musk from his statement- “The worst is over from a Tesla operational standpoint. But from a personal pain standpoint, the worst is yet to come.”
Read the complete interview here.
