As Apple plans to build an electric vehicle (EV), the company’s leader is addressing previous claims that Elon Musk tried to get Apple to buy Tesla at this year’s DealBook Live Summit.
The New York Times is holding its DealBook Live Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday, featuring a number of newsmakers in business, policy and culture talking on a number of pressing themes.
During the summit, Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed claims from Tesla CEO Elon Musk saying he wanted Apple to buy Tesla, as well as his feelings about cryptocurrency and a range of other topics.
On Musk’s rumor that Cook tried to get Apple to purchase Tesla, Cook said, “I’ve never spoken to Elon. There are lots of companies we could have gotten involved in at different times.”
Tim Cook on Elon Musk’s claim that he tried to get Apple to buy Tesla: “I’ve never spoken to Elon. There are lots of companies we could have gotten involved in at different times,” he said at the #DealBook Online Summit. https://t.co/mXcALFsbeS
— DealBook (@dealbook) November 9, 2021
Along with discussing Musk, Cook also talked about cryptocurrency, saying that, while he has personally invested in the digital currency, Apple as a company has not and doesn’t have any plans to – despite commenting that there are “other things that [Apple] is definitely looking at” with regards to potentially accepting cryptocurrency.
Cook is essentially echoing what he said back in April, about never having spoken with Musk. Cook told Kara Swisher at the time, “You know, I’ve never spoken to Elon, although I have great admiration and respect for the company he’s built. I think Tesla has done an unbelievable job of not only establishing the lead, but keeping the lead for such a long period of time in the EV space. So I have great appreciation for them.”
Back in July, Musk said, “Cook and I have never spoken or written to each other ever,” so the Apple CEO’s claims today essentially corroborate the Tesla CEO’s words from this summer.
Musk said earlier, “there was a point where I requested to meet with Cook to talk about Apple buying Tesla. There were no conditions of acquisition proposed whatsoever. He refused to meet. Tesla was worth about 6% of today’s value.”
Cook & I have never spoken or written to each other ever.
There was a point where I requested to meet with Cook to talk about Apple buying Tesla. There were no conditions of acquisition proposed whatsoever.
He refused to meet. Tesla was worth about 6% of today’s value.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2021
The eventual launch of the Apple Car is expected to dampen Tesla’s stock by one analyst, though most are predicting that the company won’t launch its autonomous car project until, at least, 2025 or 2027. Apple recently hired a former Tesla Autopilot engineer, as the iPhone maker continues to bolster its “Project Titan” team, which consists of many former Tesla employees.
