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Bill Gates Bought An Electric-Powered Porsche. Then Elon Musk Tweeted A Response

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We live in the crazy world of social media where famous billionaires take swipes at one another.

The most recent example? Bill Gates recently noted in a YouTube chat that he bought a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which costs $185,000. (Side note here that the car looks amazing. I really want to test one soon.) If we are going to save the planet, it will start with famous entrepreneurs buying electric cars. Am I right?

Then Elon Musk chimed in on Twitter. You can guess how that went. He said his conversations with Gates have been underwhelming, possibly referring to chats about sustainable architecture and how Gates stated that charging stations are hard to find.

Here is the Musk post: 

I’m always really curious about these things. What prompts one famous person to call out another? Why is it such a federal crime to buy an electric car from a competitor, one that obviously is a new entrant in the sustainable products market but extremely well established? And why do this on Twitter where you know you will stir up trouble?

There’s another way to approach this.

One is to avoid posting on social media about other billionaires altogether. It just seems kind of self-preoccupied to me. We’re living in an age where a dangerous virus is slowly spreading beyond China and trapping people on cruise ships. There’s a divisive political election on the horizon, one that is sure to cause serious consternation for everyone involved. 

A rich person bought a car. Who cares? I’m sure Bill Gates owns many other gas-powered vehicles since he is well-known as a car nut. Steve Jobs from Apple had similar “vices,” you might say. And yet, it’s not a vice. We all drive cars. When you start walking or cycling to work wearing clothes you made yourself from recycled plastic, then you can call out other people on social media. (If you are that person who walks and recycles clothes, good for you. Pat your own back.)

In the meantime, the call-outs are not helpful.

Also, there is another obvious side angle to all of this. Gates has become the most famous philanthropist in the world, perhaps in the recent history of the world. He has given away millions and runs a foundation that is trying to solve serious problems. The fact that he bought a Porsche should be a non-factor.

And, I will also defend Elon Musk. There’s no question he is a trailblazing genius and Tesla is a powerhouse in the electric car market. I’ve tested every make and model, and they tend to drive longer (and faster) than other models. Other electric cars drive like glorified golf carts by comparison. Musk comes up with a new idea and sees it to fruition — he delivers.

My issue is with dropping blanket statements on social media. It’s not helping anyone. It’s distracting from the work both billionaires are doing.

When we focus on side activities, it just means their products, charitable work, and other endeavors will be overlooked. That’s truly sad.

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