Is Elon Musk the Worst Enemy of Tesla?

The billionaire’s antics have long benefited Tesla’s notoriety. But the grand media machinery is starting to stutter.

“Whether people talk about me positively or negatively, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that they talk about me!” This quote is not from Elon Musk but from Léon Zitrone. Who better than a legendary media figure to understand the psychology of the masses? But in the 1980s, social networks had not yet established this terrible and relentless people’s court where no fact or gesture escapes scrutiny. Whether you are powerful or miserable.

There is now a two-faced Elon Musk. The first is the enigmatic and inspiring leader of one of the most well-known automobile brands in the world and a visionary of space conquest with SpaceX. A man who launched the Model S when no one believed in the short-term future of electric cars. The other is the face of the destruction of one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world, Twitter. Since buying the company in 2022, Musk’s inexplicable decisions regarding Twitter, under the guise of a commendable effort to prioritize free speech, have driven away both users and advertisers. The company is now reportedly in a disastrous financial situation, but worse, its image has suffered, with Twitter leaving its former identity behind to become X and join the dark side. Musk continues tirelessly to tarnish his own image through prolific and often repelling tweets.

The recent revelations from Wall Street Journal regarding excessive and ongoing drug use are deeply concerning to the leaders of his companies. How could an organization like NASA continue to fund Musk’s rockets?

This situation might cause even some of Tesla’s most loyal customers to turn away due to their aversion to the CEO. A way to no longer endorse his missteps. Just ask the luxury brand Dior what efforts they had to make to restore their image after the misadventures of their artistic director John Galliano!

In the past, it was quite difficult to distinguish Musk’s statements from those of Tesla on X. Recently, it’s clear that the manufacturer has taken back control of its communication, multiplying positive messages and especially debunking the craziest rumors. Certainly, it continues to ride on the CEO’s notoriety, but it is very carefully sorting out the wheat from the chaff.

While Tesla’s image may be tarnished, the manufacturer still has a valuable asset: the quality of its models! Most consumers will undoubtedly continue to buy a Tesla as long as the company produces good cars at a competitive price. The Tesla Model 2, priced under 25,000 euros, could help in smoothing things over… after all, we’re only talking about cars.