PremiumTesla has boomed in China thanks in part to tax breaks, cheap loans, and the green light to wholly own its domestic operations. But the company last year came under fire after state media and regulators questioned Tesla’s attitude toward customers
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Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos on Tuesday took to Twitter to draw attention to the close ties between Elon Musk's Tesla and China. Bezos posed a provocative question after Tesla CEO clinched a $44 billion takeover of Twitter. The Amazon founder has asked whether the 'takeover' will make things difficult for Tesla Inc. in China.
As per the data, Tesla's second-biggest market was China (after the US) in 2021. About half the company’s cars sold globally last year were produced at its plant in Shanghai, and Musk has said that figure may double. Besides, Chinese battery makers are major suppliers for Tesla's EVs.
“Interesting question. Did the Chinese government just gain a bit of leverage over the town square?" tweeted Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post.
“My own answer to this question is probably not," he added in a follow-up. “The more likely outcome in this regard is complexity in China for Tesla, rather than censorship at Twitter."
Further, Bezos wrote, "But we will see. Musk is extremely good at navigating this kind of complexity".
Tesla has boomed in China thanks in part to tax breaks, cheap loans, and the green light to wholly own its domestic operations. But the company last year came under fire after state media and regulators questioned Tesla’s attitude toward customers. Bezos’s company also operates in the country, but it’s a distant competitor to local leaders Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com Inc.
Meanwhile, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has said that Musk is the 'singular solution' for the microblogging site.
Dorsey, who took the company public in 2013, said Twitter has been “owned" by Wall Street and that taking it private was the “correct" first step. He holds a 2.36% stake in the firm, according to Bloomberg data.
“Twitter as a company has always been my sole issue and my biggest regret," Dorsey wrote in a thread. “Solving for the problem of it being a company, however, Elon is the singular solution I trust," he said.