Elon's First 100 Days in Office, the Future of the Robotaxi
Today marks the 100th day of the second Trump administration. It also means it’s been about 100 days since Elon Musk transformed the US Digital Service into what he and Trump contend is a government cost-cutting initiative named after Musk’s favorite crypto coin. With the Trump news cycle more intense than ever and Musk the fastest moving part of it, today’s episode of Elon, Inc. attempts to make sense of the past three-and-a-half months. What we do know is that the “Department of Government Efficiency” has only cut a fraction of the $2 trillion Musk initially promised, and that the South Africa native’s pledge of full transparency has come to nearly naught. Meanwhile, the entire effort is the subject of furious litigation over its arguably unconstitutional nature. Host David Papadopoulos gathers Max Chafkin, Dana Hull and Bloomberg technology reporter Kurt Wagner to break down Musk’s activities as his 130 days as a special government employee nears a close. What has been Musk’s biggest win? Biggest loss? What event has been the most surprising or under reported? The gang has its work cut out for them. Also, David, Dana and Max zero in on the robotaxi. Supposedly launching in Austin, Texas, in June, much of Tesla’s still-high valuation is bound up with Musk’s idea of a self-driving cab, and a lot of time was dedicated to it during last week’s Tesla earnings call. After years of promises, will the robotaxi actually see the light of day? How big of a fleet are we talking about? Will it survive an already crowded market? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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31:57
Everybody’s Business: DOGE, Trump and the Rise of the Manosphere
In the fourth (top secret) episode of Bloomberg Businessweek’s new podcast Everybody’s Business, hosts Max Chafkin and Stacey Vanek Smith grapple with the rise of the Man-o-sphere. Elon Musk is backing away from Doge, but his legacy will linger, and Max reveals the man behind Doge (hint: it’s not Elon) Then Sarah Frier joins the show to talk about the former talent agent who introduced President Trump to the Manosphere and how he politicized the space. And how one clip of President Trump talking to a podcast host about cocaine won the hearts and minds of the manosphere and put them squarely on team Trump. Finally, as the underrated story of the week, Stacey and Max discuss an AI tool invention that got a Columbia student suspended and then won him millions in venture capitalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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34:13
At Least Neuralink Is Doing Well
Last year was a big year for Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain implant company, seeing as it made headlines by successfully inserting a chip into a human’s brain. Soon the world may marvel at a quadriplegic man playing chess using nothing but his mind. And while there are other companies in the field of neurotechnology, Neuralink has received outsized attention thanks to its deeply controversial founder. His ultimate ambitions are lofty—including characteristically extreme claims of products that can enable mental control of robotic limbs or substitute spoken communication all together. But brainwave-powered chess aside, as the South Africa native becomes more famous (or infamous) for his role as President Donald Trump’s government-gutting deputy than co-founder of an embattled electric car company, Neuralink has managed to endure his notoriety. In this week’s episode, David Papadopoulos catches up with Bloomberg technology editor Sarah Frier to discuss what Neuralink has been up to, how its fundraising is going and what the company’s plans are for 2025. Also, Papadopoulos talks with Musk reporter Dana Hull and Bloomberg Businessweek senior writer Max Chafkin about Tuesday’s Tesla earnings call. Coming at a tumultuous time for the company, Musk has promised it will also be a “company update.” Chafkin and Hull break down what to expect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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35:09
Everybody's Business: Trade War Winners and Harvard’s $2 Billion “No”
In the third (semi-secret) episode of Bloomberg Businessweek's new podcast Everybody’s Business, Businessweek Editor Brad Stone fills in for Max Chafkin and joins Stacey Vanek Smith to talk trade war winners an losers. Though uncertainty still surrounds many of the Trump Administration's tariff policies, some trends are starting to emerge. Brad and Stacey select their winners and losers based on what we know so far. And Harvard University is making headlines this week as it pushed back against Trump Administration demands. Now the University is at risk of losing billions of dollars in federal funding as well as its tax exempt status. Reporter Janet Lorin has been following the story and explains the stakes: What does it mean for universities if they lose federal money and why is the story captivating us so much? Finally, Everybody's Business goes to space. A group of women, including entertainer Katie Perry and CBS's Gayle King, went on a short trip to space. The voyage has been heavily critiqued, but Brad argues that this is, indeed, a milestone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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31:46
Has DOGE Gone Underground?
It’s tax day in the US, and the Internal Revenue Service is reeling from more potential firings courtesy of Donald Trump, Elon Musk and their “Department of Government Efficiency” or “DOGE.” But DOGE headlines seem to have abated of late. What does it mean? Has Musk turned his gaze back to his actual businesses? Has the media’s attention span run out? Are the South Africa native’s efforts to terminate tens of thousands of government employees and shutter federal agencies—potentially in violation of federal law—continuing under the radar? Plus, what is going on with Tesla shares amid all the tariff-inspired volatility? To talk DOGE, guest host Joel Weber of Bloomberg Explains is joined by Elon Musk reporter Dana Hull and Wired senior writer Makena Kelly. Then Bloomberg stocks reporter Esha Dey joins to talk Tesla ahead of next week’s earnings report.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Elon Musk’s sprawling business empire has granted the billionaire a degree of power and global influence that transcends the industries he’s reshaped. He is the leader of no fewer than six hugely influential companies, spanning electric vehicles to wartime communications, and their innovations could shape the fates of nations.
Musk is polarizing, confounding and inescapable. And he is the biggest business story of our time.
Each week, listen in as host David Papadopoulos convenes a panel of Bloomberg Businessweek journalists who are tracking Musk’s companies and the surprising ways they intersect. They break down the business mogul's latest moves and analyze what they could mean for us all.
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