Elon Musk and Apple Deny Wild Story That He Tried To Replace Tim Cook

Several readers shared this story: Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly demanded to become Apple's CEO in a 2016 phone call with current Apple CEO Tim Cook, according to an upcoming book about Tesla. The story, shared by the Los Angeles Times, comes from Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century by The Wall Street Journal reporter Tim Higgins. As the book tells it, Cook suggested to Musk that Apple acquire Tesla, and Musk said he wanted to be CEO. Cook reportedly agreed, but Musk clarified that he wanted to be the CEO of Apple. "According to a former aide who heard (Musk's) retelling of the exchange," Cook said "Fuck you" before hanging up the phone.

But Musk and Apple have both suggested that the conversation couldn't have happened because Musk and Cook have never spoken. Musk, in a tweet on Friday, flat out said that "Cook & I have never spoken or written to each other ever." He also said that he attempted to meet with Cook about Apple acquiring Tesla, a meeting that Cook refused. When asked for comment about the reported conversation, Apple pointed to remarks Cook made during an interview with The New York Times' Kara Swisher where he denied having ever spoken to Elon. "You know, I've never spoken to Elon, although I have great admiration and respect for the company he's built," Cook said.

So, it it never happened...

[Cpt_Kirks]

Why submit it?

Because it potentially makes Musk look bad?

Re:So, it it never happened...

[Entrope]

Other tech sites ran with the original story, apparently spreading fake news. For once, Slashdot's leisurely pace of posting stories paid off!

Re: So, it it never happened...

[saloomy]

Reminds me of that scene from The Newsroom where they wait to clarify of a congresswoman was killed in a shooting. They waited. She ended up being in surgery.

Re:

[dfghjk]

Also remember that Musk did not create Tesla, he was hired by Tesla. EVs as introduced by Tesla aren't even his "invention". Fact is, Musk isn't even technical, he is a money guy...a sociopath that seeks to take credit whenever it suits him. Everything is tailored to give Musk personal credit and Tesla credit for everything worthwhile, and the industry falls for it. It's a giant con job, Musk is the Donald Trump of Silicon Valley, and that's saying a lot.

Tesla will never be a serious car company with Mu

Re:

[saloomy]

Tesla is out-innovating the pants of the rest of the car industry. That much is obvious as every other manufacturer creates a "me too" vehicle. Their market cap speaks for itself. The smart money clearly stopped shorting the guy when his innovation overwhelmed their negativity.

Oh... he also made human rated spacecraft that are reusable. No one else has to this day.

Re:

[ghoul]

Musk was working on a PhD on energy storage in capacitors at Stanford when he dropped out to make websites to cash on on the dot com boom. He may not have had any tech qualifications to create Paypal, but for batteries/capacitors he does have the background. He is not a traditional car guy like the founders of Tesla which may be why Tesla's competitive advantage is battery chemistry not car design.

Re:

[I-am-a-Banana]

Basically Musk is a more hygienic version of Jobs? Maybe he would have been a good fit for Apple as a CEO then.

Re:

[ghoul]

Unlike Jobs, Musk is good to his kids.

Re: So, it it never happened...

[Camembert]

Re: Cook - âoebasically no innovationâ
Well, the Apple Watch is his project and it a very successful product, every year more so. The airpods are very popular too, and the M1 macs bring some fresh air into the processor space.

And of course Musk did not invent electric cars, but he placed them on the map as attractive alternatives for traditional cars in a way that nobody had done before. It is because of Tesla that the whole car industry accelerated their EV efforts.

Re:

[Anonymous Crowded]

Unless the rumor that it didn't really happen started there in the first place. He seems to have a lot of free time on his hands lately.

Re: So, it it never happened...

[Type44Q]

Because it potentially makes Musk look bad?

it does nothing of the sort.

Trying to sell a book?

[GotNoRice]

Sounds like this is some idiot making stuff up to cash in on a book. Thanks Slashdot for giving the free advertising?

Re:

[MidSpeck]

Yet this story would make me LESS likely to buy it since they can't be bothered to get to the truth.

Apple is already evil enough

[Ranger]

They don't need Elon to make them worse.

Right.

[Drew84WHEEE]

“Local Pop Warner Team Requests Merger with New England Patriots, Coach Demands to Replace Belichick”

Elon doesn’t need AAPL

[ElitistWhiner]

– Apple needs Tesla!

Apple’s ability to invent and innovate in the BEV space over a decade has yielded no-result. Tesla may be the machine, IP and brand that Apple needs to loft its software-driven UX. Any other manufacturer is beneath the Apple brand, brand recognition and software/hardware integration that defines AAPL.

Credence exists that the moment exists now, if ever, for a merger of two Titans, partnership or co-development in building Apple’s future electrified platform. But that is

Re:

[ghoul]

Tesla is probably trying to convince Apple to buy their battery tech from Tesla. Hence the shade on cobalt batteries.

Re:

[Drew84WHEEE]

Apple doesn’t even kind of need Tesla. Tesla is so far below Apple it might as well be Radio Shack. Tesla isn’t a titan. It’s a sitting duck. A decade from now, Apple will still be chugging along making the stuff it currently makes with iterative improvements. Maybe a couple new things too. Tesla, at best, will be a battery division of one of the companies that know how to actually make cars.