In a move that marijuana-legalisation activists would love but investors would hate, Tesla’s billionaire CEO Elon Musk recently sparked controversy after he smoked a doobie during a live podcast.
The web-show hosted by comedian Joe Rogan was streamed live for about two-and-a-half-hours on Thursday. The Tesla chief, who recently received flak after accusing a UK diver who had been responsible for the impressive rescue of trapped boys in a cave in Thailand recently, spoke about artificial intelligence, social media and more – all while smoking pot. The two men also drank whiskey.
The millionaire, however, said that he rarely smoked weed and that he thought it was not very good for productivity. The ‘joint’ that Musk and Rogan were smoking was made of a blend of marijuana and tobacco, which is completely legal in California. The move is bound to annoy Tesla’s investors, however, who may not all be part of the legalisation rallies in Times Square.
According to a report in Bloomberg, as the video went viral, Tesla Inc.’s shares fell by 1.4 percent before US Exchanges opened on Friday. The company had already been suffering since Musk’s hints in August about taking the company private, only to dissolve the idea later. By evening, stocks had fallen 9 percent.
In between puffs, Musk told Tesla that it was hard to keep a car company alive and that it was one of the hardest endeavours he had ever embarked upon.
However, it was not just Tesla’s investors that were seemingly offended by the act. Many on social media complained of selective celebrity treatment toward privileged billionaires like Musk while others said that it was almost not surprising to see the trigger-happy carman tail controversy.
Black kids are still being arrested for smoking weed in many of America’s cities, but Elon Musk and Joe Rogan are sitting here smoking blunts on camera in California. Marijuana should be legal in all 50 states. pic.twitter.com/VZ1yh1MUHT
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 7, 2018
Elon Musk is adopting an interesting strategy to get his company's stock ***clears throat*** high again pic.twitter.com/clP8iIJ6CX
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) September 7, 2018
However, not everyone was critical. Many came out in support of the act and posted messages to show the same.
Elon Musk smoking weed makes me wants to buy more stock in Tesla. In fact I’m gonna do something real big for him to show my appreciation.
— BEN BALLER™ (@BENBALLER) September 7, 2018
I, for one, am extremely disappointed in @elonmusk, who clearly did not inhale and wasted a perfectly good hit. Imagine the awesome new ideas we'd get from @HighElonMusk. pic.twitter.com/iUHf73GzZm
— Jameson Lopp (@lopp) September 7, 2018
I wasn’t sure how I felt about Elon Musk before. I totally back him now. pic.twitter.com/skGEzSfsHX
— John Nolan (@JohnNolanMusic) September 7, 2018
Elon Musk smokes pot on Joe Rogan's podcast and Tesla stock plunges 9%.
Donald Trump tears innocent children from their parents' arms, and throws them in cages, and his approval rating goes up.
If you don't think there is a problem with American morality right now, you're nuts
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) September 7, 2018
(This article was originally published on September 8, 2018)
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