Musk Calls Out Gates' 'Hypocrisy' on Tesla Stance Amid Discussions on Climate Philanthropy

The ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Bill Gates

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Many Tesla and Elon Musk stories will be made public with Walter Isaacson's recently released Musk biography. Another excerpt posted on CNBC has already produced a fresh escalation in the strained relationship between Musk and Bill Gates. The renewed dispute centered around Gates' alleged ongoing massive short bet against Tesla.

Musk Defended Tesla Then and Now

While the usual suspects, mainstream media, painted Musk as a mean bully to Gates, Tesla's CEO took to X to clear the air in a fiery post defending Tesla and attacking Gates. Musk expressed his dismay at Gates, accusing him of holding a short position on Tesla stock, a tactic where gains are maximized if the company faced bankruptcy. Musk emphasized the contradictory nature of Gates seeking cooperation on philanthropic environmental endeavors while potentially profiting massively from Tesla's downfall, a company at the forefront of green technology.

Just so that the public understands: Taking out a short position against Tesla, as Gates did, results in the highest return only if a company goes bankrupt!

Gates placed a massive bet on Tesla dying when our company was at one of its weakest moments several years ago. Such a big short position also drives the stock down for everyday investors.

To the best of my knowledge, Gates *still* has that massive bet against Tesla on the table. Someone should ask him if he does.

The lack of self-awareness and hypocrisy of Gates who had the nerve to ask me to donate to his mostly window-dressing environmental causes, while simultaneously aiming to make $500M from Tesla's demise, boggles the mind …

Taking it a step further, Musk, responding to a follower's comment, encouraged interviewers to ask Gates about his favorite Caribbean island, hinting at a darker angle to the feud, referencing Gates' ties to Jeffrey Epstein. This provocative stance has stirred a buzz online, urging followers to anticipate Gates' response or the possibility of this query being raised in future interviews.

Background of the Dispute

The discord between the two billionaires is not new; it took a serious turn when Gates visited Musk in March 2022, as narrated in Isaacson's biography. Gates had shorted Tesla, a move that didn't sit well with Musk, who viewed it as a bet against the sustainable future Tesla is working towards. The meeting ended on a sour note, with Musk unable to look past the financial move Gates had made.

While the antagonism is evident, their relationship has had moments of respect and acknowledgment for each other's achievements. Despite criticizing Musk's focus on Mars and other technological advances, Gates has praised Musk for pushing the boundaries of science and innovation. This complicated dynamic adds depth to their ongoing feud, painting a picture of two titans with deep-seated differences yet mutual recognition of each other's impact on the tech industry.

Public Reaction and Speculations

The X post generated a lot of reactions, with the public eagerly dissecting every aspect of this disagreement. While some support Musk's standpoint, others are apprehensive about the aggressive approach adopted in calling out Gates publicly. Speculations are rife on whether this would usher in a new era of openness in billionaire disputes, shedding the veils of diplomacy.

As the book is devoured by fans, critics, enthusiasts and haters, many more stories will be coming out that may need more explanation. As the world watches this feud unfold, the fundamental question remains — what is the nature of Gates' current investment in Tesla, and how will he respond to Musk's public calling out? The saga brings to light the intense competition and different philosophies guiding two of this era's most influential tech moguls, with the world eagerly waiting for Gates' next move. The stakes are high, not just in financial terms but in the clash of ideologies over philanthropy, climate change, and the roadmap to a sustainable future.

Tesla Is Now Offering Cybertruck Test Drives [List of Locations]

@brandonhd

Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.

Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.

It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.

Advisor-led Demo

This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.

Once FSD V12.5 comes to the Cybertruck, we’re sure they’ll be demoing its capabilities FSD capabilities as well.

Locations

The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.

• Manhasset, New York

• West Covina, California

• Los Angeles, California

• Houston, Texas

• Orlando, Florida

• Westmont, Illinois

• Tucson, Arizona

• Phoenix, Arizona

• Delaware

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Musk Confirms 'Actually Smart Summon' is Coming in a Revision of FSD V12.5

Not a Tesla App

Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.

Vision-based Improvements

ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.

Just recently, Tesla returned the Model X’s self-presenting doors, using Tesla Vision. Vision has seen some fantastic improvements, and many people are waiting for ASS to bring forth these improvements to Smart Summon.

Smart Summon Today

Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.

I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.

Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.

Actually Smart Summon

ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.

We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.

Park Seek and Banish Autopark

When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10^th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.

A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.

While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.

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