Elon Musk is known for building cars and rockets, and drilling holes underground. But maybe less well known for his tequila, surfboards and flamethrowers.
Three of the companies which he runs, Tesla, SpaceX and The Boring Company, have all sold whacky merchandise. Some products, such as the “Not-A-Flamethrower,” have caused much controversy.
His electric vehicle company, Tesla, unveiled in 2018 a host of products that weren’t just cars, including wireless chargers for smartphones, mini Teslas for kids and other lifestyle products.
Perhaps the most famous are Tesla’s red satin short shorts that have taunted short-sellers betting against his stock.
In his usual Musk style, the Tesla CEO posted on Twitter in July 2020 that his electric vehicle company was selling limited-edition branded red satin shorts.
The shorts were priced at $69.420 on Tesla’s website — one of Musk’s many references to marijuana. But three minutes after Musk’s post about the shorts, he tweeted: “Dang we broke the website.
“S3XY” printed on the back of the shorts refers to Tesla’s Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. They were only being shipped in the US.
The billionaire’s liking for short shorts has sometimes led him to taunt short-sellers who bet against Tesla’s stock.
More than two years after its CEO Elon Musk first referred to “Teslaquilla” in an April Fools’ Day tweet, Tesla released its own tequila. Hours after the product went on sale, it sold out.
The tequila comes in a bottle shaped like a lightning bolt and costs $250 for a 750ml bottle.
Those that got their hands on the drink even sold the empty bottle online with a hefty price tag. Some were sold for up to $800. Insider reported that one bottle even sold for $1,420.69.
The Boring Company, which builds underground transit tunnels, sold 20,000 limited-edition flamethrowers for $500 each in February 2018.
Three years down the line, the machines have been showing up in weapon seizures and drug busts across the world. TechCrunch first reported in January that flamethrowers have been present in at least three police weapon seizures since July 2020.
Musk told podcaster Joe Rogan in 2018 the company named it “Not-A-Flamethrower” to get past foreign laws and shipping bans of flamethrowers.
“It’s dangerous, it’s wrong. Don’t buy it. Still, people bought it. I just couldn’t stop them,” Musk said on Rogan’s podcast.
SOURCE : businessinsider.