Current Affairs

A Magazine of Politics and Culture

Texts From Elon Musk to His Engineering Team

Actual texts between the Tesla chief and his team of designers.

filed in

This week, Tesla visionary Elon Musk reportedly saw his net worth drop $770 million overnight after a disastrous debut for Tesla’s new “Cybertruck.” The Cybertruck, in addition to being uncommonly hideous, was reported to have windows made of special Tesla “armor glass.” When, during the live demonstration, a Musk subordinate tried to demonstrate the strength of the armored windows by throwing a metal ball at them, they immediately shattered.

Tesla is known for its chaotic internal culture, and Musk himself has been a controversial figure. Now, for the first time, Current Affairs offers a peek inside the real-world operations of Tesla. Thanks to an internal whistleblower, we have obtained a record of texts sent from Musk to his engineering team.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I suppose for “legal purposes” and because it’s almost impossible to tell actual Elon Musk quotes from parodies I should formally note that these texts are satire and as far as we know were not actually sent by Elon Musk.

More In: Frivolity & Amusement

Cover of latest issue of print magazine

Announcing Our Newest Issue

Featuring

A dive into the banal horror of Jimmy Fallon, the surprising politics of Texas’s original cowboys, and the hidden history behind a 19th-century coal mining murder spree. Beyond breathtaking cover art by Myriam Wares, you’ll discover the beauty of monster-hunting comic Bitter Root, and perhaps walk away with a newfound respect for ska music. We also look at the dark underbelly of lolcow culture, explore a long-lost socialist village in India, and learn how Bernie Sanders conquered Burlington. Speaking of Vermont, we also sit down with Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen to hear why he pivoted from making ice cream to trying to stop the U.S. war machine. Oh, and you’ll find an op-ed on the attention crisis from none other than Adam McKay: the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind The Big Short, Vice, and Don’t Look Up. This is one magazine you don't want to miss.

The Latest From Current Affairs