Perhaps you’ve heard by now that President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye at the moment.
While many looked on in amazement this week as the relationship between two of the world’s most powerful men collapsed in a barrage of threats and insults, Forbes senior editor Alan Ohnsman dove into the potential implications of such a momentous fallout.
Musk might be the wealthiest man in the world, but with the full power of the U.S. government at his disposal, Trump can easily turn up the heat on Musk’s EV company. He could push the SEC to review the veracity of some of Musk’s public Tesla comments, scrutinize the company’s reliance on manufacturing in China, or hone in on and potentially block Tesla’s robotaxi plans.
“His surface area for attack is remarkable,” said a veteran automotive executive who asked for anonymity in order to speak freely. “The easiest lever to pull would be to resume investigations. Things Elon thought had been swept under the rug could come back to life.”
Follow along with the latest on this historic spat and read Ohnsman’s full story here. As always, keep scrolling below for more in-depth journalism from the Forbes newsroom. |
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