The chairman of the Norwegian Oil Fund had to explain to Elon Musk that there is freedom of information in Norway. That is why the Tesla CEO's text messages are now circulating in the press.
Elon Musk's text message correspondence with Nicolai Tangen, chairman of the Norwegian Oil Fund, has been made public. The 'leak' is the fund chairman himself, and it surprises the Tesla CEO.
The messages reveal a tense dialogue after the oil fund voted against Elon Musk's 400 billion Danish kroner salary package.
This is reported by the business media E24 .
The oil fund, which is a significant shareholder in Tesla, rejected the severance package, resulting in a sharp reaction from Elon Musk.
– When I ask you for a favor, which I very rarely do, and you refuse, then you shouldn't ask me for one, because you have done something to make up for it, Elon Musk wrote to Tangen in October.
The text messages were exchanged after Elon Musk declined to attend the oil fund's investment conference. Elon Musk reacted strongly to the correspondence being leaked to the Norwegian press.
"Did you send my text message to the press?" Musk asked Tangen.
Musk had received a screenshot from others suggesting that Tangen had leaked the text messages. Tangen had to explain that Norway has a principle of openness that gives the public insight into the work of government authorities.
– They haven't sent your personal comments, just the part where you said you wouldn't come to the conference.
– The country (Norway, ed.) is obsessed with you, but it doesn't reflect badly on you. But I apologize for the inconvenience, Tangen explained.
The episode illustrates Elon Musk's sometimes blunt communication style and the Norwegian oil fund's independence in investment decisions. The publication of the text messages provides a unique insight into the dialogue between one of the world's richest people and a not insignificant investor in Tesla.
Despite Elon Musk's involvement in both politics and other social issues, Tesla can note that customers are still pouring in. Chinese media this week revealed that over 70,000 have ordered the new Model Y in just 5 days. Read more about it here.
