Topline
Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has promoted Covid-19 misinformation and fiercely objected to vaccine mandates and stay-at-home orders throughout the pandemic, said on Monday he has “supposedly” contracted the virus for a second time.
Key Facts
Musk said via Twitter he is experiencing “almost no symptoms.”
Musk’s skepticism over whether he has the disease echoes comments following his first brush with the coronavirus in late 2020, when he questioned the accuracy of Covid tests after he said he received different results—two positive and two negative—on the same day.
He later said he “most likely” had a moderate case of Covid-19, though continued to question the accuracy of the tests.
Musk traveled to Germany last week for the opening of Tesla’s sprawling “Gigafactory” in Berlin, which was attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Key Background
Musk downplayed the impact of Covid-19 and railed against public health measures like stay-at-home orders during the early stages of the pandemic. He later spread unfounded skepticism and doubt over the safety of Covid vaccines, objecting to government and company mandates. He initially told the New York Times he and his children would not take the vaccine once it was available, but later told Time they had all received it (though he was still skeptical over the science). Musk has appeared to back anti-vaccine mandate protests in Canada and spoken out against the purported censorship of Joe Rogan for spreading Covid misinformation on Spotify.
Tangent
Tesla has reportedly suspended production at its Shanghai factory for four days due to Covid-19 restrictions in the city, according to Reuters. The city announced a two-stage lockdown on Sunday to carry out mass testing for coronavirus to control a growing outbreak.
Big Number
$270 billion. That’s Elon Musk’s current net worth, according to Forbes.
Further Reading
Elon Musk’s False Covid Predictions: A Timeline (Forbes)
Elon Musk Says He Tested Positive For Covid-19 (Forbes)
