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Elon Musk. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / Getty Images)
Four days after Tesla's fourth largest shareholder called "a time of calm and peace," Chief Elon Musk lobbed one of his worst Stink bombs: An accusation against an organizer of the cave rescue in Thailand that investors say is a major distraction from his mission at the helm of the automaker.
Vernon Unsworth, a British diver who played a key role in the economy of 12 boys trapped cave, had declared that Musk's unpretentious idea of sending a miniature submarine " had absolutely no chance to work "and was" only a simple shot of PR ".
But Musk pushed his 22 million Twitter followers Muscled to explain the charge, Musk doubled it: "It's better a dollar signed, that's right."
Investors rattled down Tesla shares by 3% on Monday, ex tending a losing line for a company that was only a few weeks ago America's most valuable automaker, worth more than General Motors . Musk's critics have long claimed that its fierce attacks – with rivals, partners, analysts, journalists and employees, to name a few – have paralyzed Tesla's vaunted mission to reshape 39, the automotive industry and change the world
more than 16% since last month, cutting several billion dollars the market value of the company at a time when it still depends on the money and investor confidence. The company lost $ 2 billion last year and never made any annual profit.
[ The Thai cave rescuer plans to sue Elon Musk for tweets 'pedo' suppressed
Even the shareholders and supporters of Musk begin to question The temperament could affect the company that he built, and their bottom line.
"This thing is being frayed," said Gordon Johnson, managing director of Vertical Group, a New York-based investment research group. "Last week you had a very big shareholder who said that he wanted him to focus on running and stopping tweets. And then, this weekend you are receiving more tweets, what is his angle, what is he doing … He continues to promise all these things, and he continues to miss, and he is not held responsible. " 19659010] Musk's tweets have since been deleted. Tesla and Musk's office spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment.
The representatives of T. Rowe Price, Fidelity Investments and Baillie Gifford – the three largest shareholders of Tesla, behind Musk himself – also declined to comment. James Anderson, a Baillie Gifford Asset Management firm partner, said last week that the company needed peace and focus to solve its "problems of execution," adding that It would be good to focus on the main task. Tesla recently achieved a weekly manufacturing goal for its electric sedan model 3, after months of delays and a series of disasters that Musk called "production hell"
Musk – Tesla's largest investor with more than 33 million shares lost Musk has for years said to be proudly, aggressively deconcentrated – a billionaire known for his visionary projects in electric cars, underground supertrains, artificial intelligence and travel in the US. space. It was only the last of his moment ambitions, with the sending of water filters to Flint, Michigan, drilling tunnels for a new class of high-speed transit and the sale of flamethrowers. 19659014] But Musk had recently promised to act more like the wise leader of a $ 50 billion company that investors want him to be. In an interview last week, Musk said that he was reforming his belief that Twitter was an endless battlefield where "if you attack me, so it's OK for me to fight back." "I will try to be better at this," said Musk. "It's my mistake, I'm going to fix it."
Analysts said Musk's "muscular" comments had ensured that the underwater scandal was still going to steal Tesla's thunder at a critical time, while Musk should focus on making model 3. [19659016] A Musk SpaceX team built the specially designed "child-sized submarine", and Musk traveled with them to northern Thailand, documenting their tests and adventures along the way. But the boys were saved by a volunteer rescue team. The Musk submarine has never been used.
The submarine, which a lifeguard called "not practical" for the narrow passages of the cave, was left to the country's navy for potential future use. Musk continued to defend the ship, which he said "could also function as an escape capsule in space."
[Elon Musk unveils ‘kid-size’ submarine for Thai cave rescue]
Unsworth, who could not be reached for comment, told reporters On Monday, he was considering a lawsuit against Musk, saying, "I think people realize what kind of guy he is. "
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said Unsworth could file a complaint. The Musk attack was a defamation – a false and written statement that defamed or damaged his reputation.
The comments elicited much criticism on Monday, including former Vermont governor and Democratic candidate Howard Dean, tweeted "If the CEO loses it, the company is worthless."
[Former Tesla employee blasted by Elon Musk takes battle to SEC, filing whistleblower complaint]
The episode also seemed to repel some of Tesla's closest sponsors, including alternative energy loyalists who saw Tesla as a worthy opponent of oil juggernauts and the gas industries. Kevin Holland, the managing director of The Solar Shed, a British renewable energy installer, stated that his company would no longer promote Tesla products until Musk introduced him to a "public and complete apology … about his disgusting comments. hero. "
" He is a source of inspiration for many under very skilled PR over the years and must remember that he is a role model, "said Holland. Do not call people (pedophiles) on Twitter because they had an idea that would not work. "
Avi Selk contributed to this report.
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