RM Elon Musk’s Harsh Words to Employees and His Personal Struggles Amid Tesla’s Financial Crisis

In 2008, Tesla was on the verge of financial collapse, and CEO Elon Musk was facing immense pressure. During a particularly intense internal meeting, Musk was shown a series of rejected cars, which revealed problems with the company’s production. Frustrated, Musk demanded accountability from his team. “I want names,” he said, adding that anyone who was consistently causing issues would not have a long-term future at Tesla. “If someone can’t get happy, get divorced,” he continued, speaking from personal experience, likely referencing his ongoing divorce from his first wife, Justine Musk.

Musk’s Marital History: Three Divorces, Two Wives

Elon Musk’s personal life has been marked by multiple marriages and divorces. He first married Justine Musk in 2000, and together they had six children, one of whom tragically died in infancy. However, their marriage ended in 2008, the same year that Tesla and SpaceX were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

In 2010, Musk remarried British actress Talulah Riley, but their relationship faced turbulence. The couple divorced in 2012, only to reconcile and remarry in 2013. However, their second marriage ended in divorce once again in 2016. Since then, Musk has not remarried, although he did have a long-term relationship with musician Grimes, with whom he shares children, though they were never married.

“We’re Screwed”: Musk’s Desperation During Tesla’s Crisis

The comments Musk made about divorce and happiness were part of a broader, tense discussion within Tesla. During the same meeting, Colette Niazmand, the company’s marketing executive, reported that there were significant issues with the Tesla Roadster, with some parts being deemed substandard. In a video that recently resurfaced, one of Tesla’s executives was seen telling Musk that if the Roadster could not sustain the company by March, Tesla would be finished.

Musk’s response reflected the gravity of the situation: “We need to make the company cash flow positive in six to nine months. Otherwise, we’re screwed. It’s pedal to the metal now. Every month that goes by costs us tens of millions of dollars.”