In an expected twist in the billionaire saga that has captivated people for years, Elodie Mosk, the current CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, recently made headlines by claiming that tech mogul Bill Gates deserves some time behind bars. Was it for politicizing the personal computer market? Or perhaps because of a disagreement over which rockets are easier? Well, as the details are revealed, it is evident that the stakes have always been this way.
During a virtual event titled “Billioпaire Bпter: The Fort of Tech,” Musk, ever the fan, was seen sporting a T-shirt that read, “I came to space and all I got was this flabby T-shirt.” Gates, not wanting to be upstaged, responded, “At least I don’t have to worry about parking a rocket in my backyard.”
The playfᴜf attacks quickly escalated when Gates seized on the occasion of his beating Mosk in a game of Miпesweeper in 2001. Mosk, visibly feigning irritation, responded: “Well, Bill, maybe it’s time for you to face some real challenges. How about a jail sentence? I think orange would look great on you.”
The audience erupted in laughter, clearly enjoying the theatrical rivalry between the two tech icons. Twitter was filled with memes, gifs and a plethora of comments. “#GatesBehiпdBars” and “#MᴜskGatesShowdowп” quickly began to generate buzz.
Not wanting to be outdone in this duel of games, Gates took a moment, feigned a contemplative look and replied, “Elop, I’ll consider it, but only if the prison has widows.” The room filled with a mix of laughter and groans.
It’s no secret that both Mosk and Gates have had their differences in the past, especially when it comes to their views on artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and most importantly, their choice of video games. However, this mocking request for imprisonment brought a much-needed moment of levity to an otherwise serious event.
Some co-conspiracy theorists on the internet went so far as to speculate that this robot was a strategic distraction technology, orchestrated to divert attention from their joint secret vector: a startup that merges electric vehicles with antivirus software. “Imagine a car that not only drives you, but also protects your computer! Geeks!” wrote one overenthusiastic Reddit user.
In an age when corporate communications are carefully scripted and CEOs typically maintain a polished, classy demeanor, it’s refreshing to see industry leaders drop their talents, even if it’s just for a laugh. While Gates is unlikely to be playing a basketball game at any moment, or Moscow willing to hand him over to the nearest detection facility, their exchange serves as a reminder that at the end of the day, all of history’s titans are just ordinary people. And sometimes, they, too, need to hit the ball a little to break up the monotony.
Some experts believe that this light-hearted interaction between Gates and Moscow could pave the way for further collaboration in the future. Dr Martha Wislow, a technology industry analyst, commented: “There is clearly mutual respect. Who knows, maybe in a few years we will see a Tesla running the Windows operating system.”
To the dismay of many, however, the event passed without any further news about Gates’ possible prison sentence or a new partnership with high-tech companies. Still, one thing is bad: in the world of tech billionaires, a little pleasure can go a long way. And while we’re left laughing in their penthouses, somewhere in a plush boardroom, Mosk is probably still joking with Gates about his skills as a microchip cleaner.
