HeWhoRemains™ Posted April 9, 2023 Posted April 9, 2023 When Anne Marie Squeo took delivery of her flaming red Tesla car in 2020, she felt like she had joined a special "club" of people who were doing something to help the environment, and doing it in style along the way. But last year, when Tesla owner Elon Musk shared far-right conspiracy theories on Twitter, posted a photo showing guns next to his bed, and proposed a series of solutions to end the war in Ukraine that many leaders politicians rejected, Anne Marie's satisfaction turned to shame. "She's been very depressing, and at times embarrassing, driving this car," says the 55-year-old marketing and communications professional who lives in Connecticut, who wrote an article about her discomfort. "I wondered if people were making judgments about me that I didn't want them to make." Elon Musk was once seen as the secret behind Tesla's success, but today, he seems to be the main one with his problems. stock drop As Musk's relentless stream of politically charged posts alienates a key part of Tesla's customer base, increased competition has begun to take its toll on the firm's dominance of the electric car market. Tesla's share value plummeted in 2022 - the worst drop since the company went public in 2012 - reflecting these concerns, as well as concerns such as supply chain disruptions and a weaker economy. In December, big investors - some of them longtime Musk allies - voiced their concerns publicly, accusing him of abandoning Tesla after it bought Twitter for $44 billion in October and damaged the company's reputation. brand. It didn't help that Musk sold nearly $20 billion of his shares in Tesla last year, a sale that had an impact on the share price and was partly triggered by the purchase of Twitter. "It's cost everybody a ton of money. It certainly didn't protect Tesla shareholders," says investor Ross Gerber, who is now seeking a seat on Tesla's board of directors and implementing changes, including investing in advertising. , something Tesla has always proudly said it doesn't need. Gerber, the head of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management -- and a self-proclaimed friend of Elon Musk -- says he remains optimistic about the company's future, and has increased the number of shares his firm holds in Tesla following the drop in price. But he also says the company needs to have its own chief executive officer and create his own voice, one that differs from Musk's. "It's very hard to believe now that Elon has been a positive advertising force for Tesla," he says. the repercussions Musk, with more than 127 million followers on Twitter, this week rejected any suggestion linking his unfiltered style on social media to the damage Tesla's brand has suffered, arguing that his massive following "speaks for itself." ". But in recent weeks, facing concerns about weak consumer demand, Tesla announced it was going to implement significant price cuts in the US, Europe and China, with some models getting up to 20% off. Investors hope these measures will cushion some of the damage to the brand, as financial concerns outweigh shoppers' moral dilemmas. Likewise, these discounts will impact the company's profit margins, and for some car buyers, there is no going back. Musk Apology Indie Grant, who works in the insurance industry in New Zealand, ruled out buying a Tesla based on Musk's political views, and decided to buy a Peugot instead. "With him so tied to the brand, buying a Tesla feels like inadvertently announcing, 'I think Elon is the ultimate. I love everything he does,'" he says. "That wasn't really the message we wanted to send, and with such a variety of cars, it didn't affect us too much having to rule it out when considering options." Very few things could make you consider buying a Tesla now, says Indie: "My opinion of Tesla would only change if I was no longer associated with it." It is not the first time that Elon Musk ends up in water up to his neck after his comments on Twitter about him. https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-64459625
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