Elon Musk: 'The One Time I Met Steve Jobs, He Was Kind of a Jerk'

In an interview with GQ, Tesla CEO Elon Musk reveals that the one time he met Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder was 'kind of a jerk'.

Musk was asked if reflects on how he will be remembered considering the way Steve Jobs' legacy is being fought over.

"I think what matters is the actions," he says, "not what people think of me in the future. I'll be long dead. But the actions that I take, will they have been useful?"


When it's pointed out that there seems to be this narrative that figures like Jobs and now Musk are visionary geniuses on one hand but have deeply flawed personalities on the other, he briefly recounts meeting Steve Jobs.

"Sure," he says. "I don't know—I mean, the one time I met Steve Jobs, he was kind of a jerk. And everyone I know who met him…" He stops himself here, mid-sentence, and says he'd like to withdraw this answer. "Sorry. Hang on. The last thing I need is, like, more…"

Musk says he was introduced to Jobs at a party by Google's Larry Page. Jobs didn't know who he was so it wasn't personal.

"I mean, I can't say beyond my personal experience. That is the only experience that I had."


Musk likely decided to hold back on his statement following some earlier comments on Apple being a Tesla graveyard for fired employees and the Apple Watch being half baked. Those generated an enormous amount of publicity around the globe.

"The last thing I need is to generate animosity, you know," he says. "It just is not helpful."

More details in the full interview linked below...

Read More [via CultofMac]