Elon Musk, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., speaks via video link to Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.
In a wide-ranging virtual interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Elon Musk confirmed he will remain CEO of Tesla, downplayed concerns about the company’s performance, and addressed backlash over protests and criticism, asserting that violence against Tesla is unjustified.
He discussed his controversial pay package and hinted at a potential Starlink IPO.
Musk clarified his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Donald Trump as advisory, claiming it poses no conflict of interest and could lead to significant cost savings.
He announced plans to proceed with a lawsuit against OpenAI, emphasized the need for strong AI regulation, and stated he is scaling back political contributions. Musk also commented on his relationship with Bill Gates, USAID, and denied any communication with Vladimir Putin.
Chapter Timing
00:00 Elon Musk 00:30 Musk’s travel schedule
01:30 Musk working for DOGE
01:55 Blowback against Tesla
04:00 Musk says things are fine at Tesla
04:23 Musk commits to being CEO at Tesla
05:00 Musk talks about his pay package at Tesla
07:00 Musk on the protests against Tesla
09:00 Musk says violence against Tesla is never justified
10:30 Musk on business at SpaceX
12:30 Musk says Starlink may go public at some point
15:00 Musk will move ahead with lawsuit against OpenAI
17:00 Musk on AI regulation
21:00 Musk says there’s no conflict of interest at DOGE
23:00 Musk on working with DOGE
24:00 Musk on South Africa/Starlink
26:20 How much money can DOGE save?
29:00 Musk says DOGE is an advisory group
30:00 Musk on Bill Gates
33:00 Musk on fighting AIDS, USAID
35:00 Musk is pulling back on political spending
35:42 Musk: I don’t speak to Russia’s Putin
38:00 Musk’s biggest challenges
Credit: Bloomberg Television, May 20, 2025
