Elon Musk trashes Buffett as “boring”—but quietly wanted him to bet big on Tesla
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 14, 2025, 18:12 IST
Elon Musk has publicly criticized Warren Buffett's investing style and persona for years, labeling it as dull and uninspired. However, reports reveal that Musk has privately courted Buffett's investment in Tesla, urging Berkshire Hathaway to shift its Apple stake. Despite his public jabs, Musk acknowledges Buffett's financial skills and the potential value of his support for Tesla.
Elon Musk, never one to hold back his opinions, has publicly taken shots at legendary investor Warren Buffett for years—calling his investing style dull, dismissing his “kindly grandfather” image, and even mocking his daily routine. But according to recent reports, behind the scenes, Musk has been lobbying for Buffett to invest in Tesla.
The billionaire tech mogul’s latest contradiction was highlighted in a Benzinga report, which detailed Musk’s long-running criticisms of Buffett—while revealing that he privately hoped for Buffett’s support.
“If Elon Musk ever writes a self-help book, chapter one might be titled: ‘Insult First, Pitch Later,’” the report quipped.
Musk’s jabs date back to a 2020 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he dismissed Buffett’s role as a “capital allocator” who spends his days reading annual reports. “It’s pretty boring, really,” Musk said, adding, “I’m not his biggest fan.”
That same year, Musk appeared in a New York Times interview where he smirked at Buffett’s image, saying, “He has managed to create a great image for himself as a kindly grandfather, which is maybe overstating the case.”
And in 2021, after being named Time’s Person of the Year, Musk doubled down: “He sits there and reads all these annual reports, which are super boring. Does anybody want that job?”
Despite his sarcasm and shade, Musk has shown admiration for Buffett’s financial acumen. “He’s doing a useful job for the economy, and he’s very skilled at it,” Musk said, per Benzinga.
In fact, Musk even urged Buffett’s firm, Berkshire Hathaway, to dump its massive Apple stake—valued at around $135 billion—and instead go “all in” on Tesla. “He should take a position in Tesla. It’s an obvious move,” Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) last year.
It’s complicated. Musk clearly sees Buffett’s work as the antithesis of innovation. He favors creators and builders over financial strategists. But when it comes to results, even Musk can’t deny the value of Buffett’s approach.
As one observer put it: Musk may scoff at Buffett’s methods, but he certainly wouldn’t mind if Buffett used them to buy Tesla stock.
The billionaire tech mogul’s latest contradiction was highlighted in a Benzinga report, which detailed Musk’s long-running criticisms of Buffett—while revealing that he privately hoped for Buffett’s support.
“If Elon Musk ever writes a self-help book, chapter one might be titled: ‘Insult First, Pitch Later,’” the report quipped.
Musk’s Public Digs at Buffett
That same year, Musk appeared in a New York Times interview where he smirked at Buffett’s image, saying, “He has managed to create a great image for himself as a kindly grandfather, which is maybe overstating the case.”
And in 2021, after being named Time’s Person of the Year, Musk doubled down: “He sits there and reads all these annual reports, which are super boring. Does anybody want that job?”
The Irony: Musk Wanted Buffett’s Money
In fact, Musk even urged Buffett’s firm, Berkshire Hathaway, to dump its massive Apple stake—valued at around $135 billion—and instead go “all in” on Tesla. “He should take a position in Tesla. It’s an obvious move,” Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) last year.
So, Does Musk Actually Dislike Buffett?
As one observer put it: Musk may scoff at Buffett’s methods, but he certainly wouldn’t mind if Buffett used them to buy Tesla stock.