Reason Apple Didn’t Buy Tesla in 2013 Was Because They Couln’t Fire Musk

Posted by Dennis D. Bednarz on May 23, 2019 in Apple News

We recently covered the old 2013 deal between Tesla and Apple, where the latter would have acquired all assets of the former. That, obviously, didn’t happen but we finally have an answer to why. It’s because of Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is a controversial character. He is the CEO and Chairman of both SpaceX and Tesla, as well as being a gigantic internet meme thanks to his appearances in things like Joe Regan’s show, where he smoked cannabis in front of the camera, as well as PewDiePie’s Meme Review.

And that personality could have been what ended up on a no-deal between Tesla and Apple. Craig Irwin, an analyst at Roth Capital Partners, has commented on the matter:

“Regarding the acquisition, my understanding is Apple wanted Elon Musk to step away, and that was a deal killer,”

Apple isn’t known for letting companies manage themselves after acquiring them. They mostly become just another brand for what’s actually an Apple product underneath (like Beats), or get entirely absorbed by the previously trillion dollar company.

Apple hasn’t commented on the matter, and we don’t expect them to. But we have reached out for comment.

What are your thoughts? Should Elon Musk have stepped down and let Apple buyout the company? Let us know in the comments below.

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