Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos are publicly known not to be on great terms. The two have often made subtle jibes at each other. In latest dig, Musk said that the Amazon founder had urged people to sell their Tesla, SpaceX shares because Donald Trump would lose. A claim that Jeff Bezos has strictly denied in a rare post on X, formerly Twitter.
In a Twitter post, Musk wrote, “Just learned tonight at Mar-a-Lago that Jeff Bezos was telling everyone that @realDonaldTrump would lose for sure, so they should sell all their Tesla and SpaceX stock 🤭”. Musk did not add as to who was present during the conversation or any other additional context.
To this, Bezos replied back: “Nope. 100% not true”. Musk then responded to Bezos, “Well, then, I stand corrected,” adding a laughter emoji.
Elon Musk vs Jeff Bezos: The richest and second-richest men on planet
Incidentally, the two are currently ranked in the top 5 richest men in the world. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk ranks at No. 1 with a net worth of $331 billion; Bezos is at No. 2 on the list, with a net worth of $226 billion. The duo have often exchanged positions.
For those wondering the open jibes, this is not the first time that the two richest men on the planet have sparred publicly. Musk owns SpaceX, which holds a dominant position in the rocket launch industry and operates the Starlink satellite internet service. Bezos, on the other hand, founded Blue Origin, a space tourism and exploration company, and is heavily invested in Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a rival satellite network. Amazon is also the biggest shareholder in Tesla rival Rivian Automotive Inc.
The latest public exchange comes as Musk, who spent more than $130 million on Donald Trump’s campaign, enjoys a prominent role in US President elect’s inner circle, with some calling him First Buddy. Tesla’s shares have jumped more than 30% since November. 5 election, helping Musk’s net worth balloon to more than $340 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
When Bezos-owned Washington Post decided not to endorse Kamala Harris for president
In late October, the Bezos-owned Washington Post, which was publicly known to endorse vice president Kamala Harris for President — controversially broke from tradition by deciding that its opinion editors would not support a candidate. The Amazon founder defended the decision as a “principled” one. However, critics slammed the move as “cowardice” terming it an effort to avoid antagonising Trump should he get elected. Several prominent journalists at the paper also reportedly quit due to this.
Bezos’ support for Trump’s victory
Bezos congratulated Trump on his “decisive victory” in the US elections. In a post on X on November 6, Bezos wrote, “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love”.