During Tesla’s 2024 Cyber Roundup, CEO Elon Musk provided shareholders with a glimpse into his interactions with former President Donald Trump. Amid discussions on the future of electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and robotics, Musk addressed a question about Trump’s apparent change of heart towards Tesla.
“Donald Trump has been a big critic of electric vehicles,” began the questioner, prompting laughter from Musk. “But last week, he surprised us by saying he’s a big fan of Tesla and a big fan of you. What did you tell him?”
“Well, you know, I can be persuasive,” Musk replied with a smile. “I have had some conversations with him, and he does call me out of the blue for no reason. I don’t know why, but he does.”
Musk continued, “He’s very nice when he calls and you know I was like, ‘You know electric cars are pretty good for the future. America’s the leader in electric cars.’ You know, ‘buy American and stuff.’” He added that Trump’s new stance might be influenced by his friends. “I think a lot of his friends now have Teslas. And they all love it. And he’s a huge fan of the Cybertruck.”
This discussion came on the same day Trump appeared on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast, where he praised Musk as “a spectacular guy.” Reports have also surfaced suggesting Musk might join a potential second Trump administration in an advisory role.
Meanwhile, Tesla shareholders voted in favor of maintaining Musk’s 2018 pay package, which had previously been invalidated by Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick. Despite her ruling that the approval process was flawed, shareholders reaffirmed their support for Musk’s compensation plan. Additionally, following Musk’s criticism of Delaware’s judicial interference, shareholders agreed to change Tesla’s incorporation to Texas.
