Who is the Fool Now, Elon?

Automologist MAC brings you another snippet of real-life Tony Stark's life...in this one, he bungles it up.

We know Elon Musk to be a great Innovator, Humanitarian, Entrepreneur, but now he must also be vying for the titleholder of worst April Fools Joke of all time. As is typical of the modern world, and also of Musk's communication tactics, it all started with a series of tweets that began with:

Tesla Goes Bankrupt
Palo Alto, California, April 1, 2018 -- Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you can't believe it.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2018

Elon was found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by "Teslaquilla" bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks.

This is not a forward-looking statement, because, obviously, what's the point?

Happy New Month! pic.twitter.com/YcouvFz6Y1

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2018

Yeah, yeah, funny spelling of “bankwupt”, Elon...and good joke, Elon...except that maybe the prank was a little too close to the bone for many investors and Tesla loyalists to handle.

The next day, Tesla's stock, which had already been on a bit of a slide, fell a massive 7 percent to US$248 per share, which means that since the stock's peak last summer, during which each share was valued at US$389, the stock has fallen some 36%—way to go, Elon!

Of course, it would be quite presumptive to assume that the drop was because of the failed prank, but as they say, comedy is all about the timing, and I am thinking that perhaps Musk's was a little premature.

Trying to recover from the situation, Musk then tweeted: "Seriously! Obviously, I’m not going to do an April Fool’s joke about going bankwupt if I thought there was any chance it would actually happen (sigh)."

You have to admit, though, it is a ballsy joke for a CEO who is heading a company that is:

• about ten billion dollars in debt;
• on its worst stock market run in its seven-year existence;
• in the middle of a massive recall of vehicles;
• missing yet another production milestone;
• under scrutiny of the NTSB for the recent death of a driver using the Tesla autonomous mode;
• has already starred bankruptcy in the face.

I am thinking that perhaps next year he will think his joke through a little more.