Recode Decode: Elon Musk

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about Tesla's turbulent 2018, when SpaceX will send its first rocket to Mars, why he fights with journalists on Twitter and much more. In this episode: (01:49) Using Twitter without a filter; (04:50) Picking fights with the press; (07:59) The “excruciating” year of 2018; (10:54) Why does Musk push himself so hard?; (13:49) The toll on him and Tesla’s employees; (16:52) Self-inflicted wounds and sleep deprivation; (21:44) Tesla’s first profitable quarter in two years; (23:35) Self-driving cars; (25:38) Government regulation; (29:13) Tesla’s competitors; (33:30) Why Tesla is not going private after all; (36:31) The Tesla Semi, pickup truck and other new products; (45:10) SpaceX and dying on Mars; (49:48) Donald Trump’s Space Force and colonizing beyond Earth; (51:49) Going to Mars; (55:06) Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin and Amazon; (57:03) The Boring Company, dad jokes and drilling technology; (1:05:55) Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi investors and techlash; (1:11:05) How is Musk feeling about the future?; (1:15:38) If he got one redo on something from 2018, what would he redo?; (1:16:43) Why Tesla won't make a scooter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosts & Guests

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada