Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Elon Musk stated that he anticipates hundreds of thousands of self-driving Teslas will operate without human intervention by the end of next year, allowing him to remain CEO for at least five more years.
The billionaire shared in an interview on Tuesday that he feels no remorse about the elimination of government efficiency jobs during the Trump administration. He minimized the impact on the Tesla brand from his actions, asserting that demand for Teslas has seen a “major rebound.” This is significant given the recent sharp declines in public sales across Europe and the U.S.
“Perhaps Teslas are self-driving in the U.S., or even more than hundreds of thousands,” Musk mentioned during a CNBC interview on Tuesday, emphasizing that passengers don’t need to focus on the road. “You can sleep and wake up at your destination.”
Earlier, Musk made his comments about continuing as CEO at the Qatar Economic Forum organized by Bloomberg.
He also revealed plans for testing its autonomous taxi service in Austin, Texas next month, indicating that vehicles will initially be monitored from afar and that certain areas of the city will likely be the safest for travel. Musk expressed confidence in Austin’s success, anticipating quick deployment of Tesla’s taxi fleet in cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco, and beyond.
During the Economic Forum, questions regarding his expected duration in Tesla’s top role arose after his recent trip to Doha with Trump. Musk, who also heads SpaceX, Starlink, and other ventures, briefly responded to inquiries about how his business and political activities have impacted his enterprise.
Moderator Mishal Hussain asked:
Musk replied: “Yes.”
Hussain followed up: “Is there absolutely no doubt about that?”
Musk responded, laughing: “If I was dead, I couldn’t be here yet.”
Tesla faces considerable scrutiny, particularly due to Musk’s collaboration with Trump as part of the Doge Cut campaign involving the entire U.S. federal government.
When asked if these circumstances have led him to reconsider his political involvement, Musk paused, glancing away from the camera before replying.
“I did what I had to do,” he stated. “I have committed violence, but I am not the one who has inflicted massive harm on my company. Significant threats have been directed at me.”
He continued: “Don’t worry: we’re here for you.”
Regarding his political donations, at least $250 million to support Trump’s campaign, Musk noted that he plans to contribute “much less in the future.”
“I think I’ve done enough,” he added.
Once valued at $56 billion, Musk’s Tesla pay package has faced scrutiny from a Delaware judge who halted it. Musk referred to Prime Minister Cataline St. Jude McCormick as “an activist cosplaying as a judge in Halloween costumes” on Tuesday.
Nonetheless, he acknowledged that his salary at Tesla was a factor in his decision to remain with the company, mentioning the necessity for “sufficient voting power” to prevent being ousted by activist investors.
“It’s not about money; it’s about maintaining rational control over the future of the company, especially when developing millions of potentially billion-dollar humanoid robots,” he concluded.
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Condon reported from New York.
Source: apnews.com