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Elon Musk is facing criticism after he joked the United States has been "harmed" by Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren as she inquired about the harm Musk has caused to Tesla's investors.
Earlier, Warren—who has spent her career focusing on consumer protection, equitable economic opportunity and the social safety net—noted Musk is still the chief executive of the automotive company despite recently acquiring the social media platform Twitter.
Warren suggested it is worth investigating whether Musk is "creating conflicts of interest" and "misappropriating company resources" because Tesla "is not Musk's private plaything."
She noted she has "many questions for the Tesla board" in a tweet that included a link to a New York Times story about her concerns about Musk's stewardship of Twitter.
You can see Warren's tweet below.
\u201cElon Musk took over @Twitter, but he's still the CEO of @Tesla. That raises legal concerns \u2014 is he creating conflicts of interest? Is he misappropriating company resources? Tesla is not Musk\u2019s private plaything. I\u2019ve got many questions for the Tesla Board. https://t.co/B028T1Yive\u201d— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1671463697
The Times' story soon caught Musk's eye after it was shared by former Tesla program manager Farzad Mesbahi and he quickly proceeded to attack Warren, writing:
"The United States has definitely been harmed by having her as a senator lol."
You can see Musk's tweet below.
\u201c@farzyness The United States has definitely been harmed by having her as a senator lol\u201d— Farzad Mesbahi (@Farzad Mesbahi) 1671460870
Many have criticized Musk for his childish response.
\u201cTranslation:\n\nElmo fears strong women and paying taxes.\u201d— JC WUZ UP! (@JC WUZ UP!) 1671548463
\u201cShes a lot more ethical and stands for the people than you goons.\u201d— UCFGUY23 (@UCFGUY23) 1671554343
\u201cGo home then.\u201d— LeBron James Cameron (@LeBron James Cameron) 1671544185
\u201charming your ability to live off of government subsidies does not hurt the United States and neither would a Wealth Tax\u201d— Gene Hosey (@Gene Hosey) 1671530707
\u201cAdult baby man adds lol to make misogynistic rage towards beloved female senator more palatable for incel followers. Would not know character if Minnie Mouse hugged him.\u201d— Rebecca (@Rebecca) 1671529728
\u201cI beg to differ.\u201d— Nancy Bivens (@Nancy Bivens) 1671534545
\u201cYou mean your bottom line you're not fooling anyone\u201d— Andrew Votaw (@Andrew Votaw) 1671538618
\u201cWe have been more harmed by billionaires and Teslas exploding than her being senator, lol.\u201d— @ArkhamPolitics@techhub.social (@@ArkhamPolitics@techhub.social) 1671541703
Twitter has been mired in scandal since Musk acquired it in October and criticisms about Musk's content moderation policies and commitment to freedom of speech have raised questions about Musk's capacity to lead. His actions have caused Tesla to lose almost a third of its value since the Twitter acquisition was finalized.
Warren said in her letter to Tesla's board that the board has “failed to meet” its “legal duty” to ensure Musk is not treating the company as his “private plaything.” She pointed out that Musk’s deal to purchase the social media platform gave Tesla $1 billion in yearly interest payments to make, an amount that exceeds its annual cash flow.
Warren has asked the board to elaborate on how it is handling “conflicts of interest, misappropriation of corporate assets, and other actions by Mr. Musk that appear not to be in the best interests of Tesla and its shareholders.”