Tesla's first CEO says Elon Musk ignored a congratulatory note, hasn't spoken to him in 14 years

Tesla’s early history is a point of contention between
Elon Musk and Martin Eberhard.
Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc./Getty Images

Martin Eberhard said he sent Elon Musk a note after SpaceX’s first rocket launched into orbit.
The Tesla cofounder said he never heard back from Musk and hasn’t spoken to him in about 14 years.
The two men have had a rocky relationship and have been known to argue about Tesla’s early history.

The Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard said he hasn’t spoken to Elon Musk in about 14 years.

“The last time I communicated with him directly was when we settled our lawsuit,” in 2009, Eberhard told Insider in an interview. “I actually sent him a congratulatory note when his first rocket successfully made it to space, but I got no reply.”

SpaceX launched its first rocket into orbit in 2008. The reusable-rocket company had three failed launches between 2006 and 2008. Musk has said the fourth launch, in 2008, which was successful, used the last of the company’s money and paved the way for SpaceX to become the company it is today.

Eberhard and Musk have had a rocky relationship over the years. The Tesla cofounder has said Musk forced him out of the company and had Tesla’s board vote him out as CEO behind his back in 2007.

Musk didn’t respond to several requests for comment on this story. Insider’s emails to Tesla’s press line seeking comment were not returned.

When Eberhard left, Musk said Eberhard’s departure was related to delays in the Tesla Roadster’s production and other operational issues.

“It was not a question of personality differences, as the decision to have Martin transition to an advisory role was unanimous among the board,” Musk said at the time. “Tesla has operational problems that need to be solved and if the board thought there was any way that Martin could be part of the solution, then he would still be an employee of the company.”

About two years later, after Musk started calling himself a Tesla founder, Eberhard sued Musk, alleging libel and slander. Eberhard also accused Musk of saying Eberhard had caused the development of the Roadster to be delayed and over budget. That year, the lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount, with the condition that Musk and two other Tesla executives, JB Straubel and Ian Wright, could also claim the title of Tesla founder. Today Musk’s listed as a cofounder on the carmaker’s website.

Eberhard told Insider he tried to avoid reading news about Musk and even has his name blocked in his news feed.

“I don’t need to read any more about him,” Eberhard said, adding: “What happens is that Musk will make some wild-ass claim on Twitter and suddenly a bunch of reporters want to talk to me. That’s how I hear about it.”

Tesla’s early history has remained a point of contention between the two men, and Musk has sometimes criticized Eberhard on Twitter.

“I was head of product and led the design of the original Roadster,” Musk tweeted in November. “Eberhard was wealthy and could have risked his money, but was unwilling to do so.”

Eberhard said he disagreed with Musk’s characterization of his involvement in Tesla’s early days, when Musk was an investor and board member and Eberhard was still the CEO.

Eberhard said Musk acted like any other board member and visited the company’s office about monthly.

“Elon is a different person now than he was then,” Eberhard said. “Elon didn’t come into the company. I mean, this idea that he was somehow involved in the design of the Roadster stuff — he was no more involved than any other board member. He came to board meetings. He did not have an office at the company. He didn’t come there regularly. He did not give direction to my employees, anything like that. He was a board member.”

Today, Musk’s name has become virtually synonymous with Tesla. Stories of the billionaire pushing for lofty production targets and sleeping on Tesla’s factory floor have become practically folklore.

Read the full Insider interview with Martin Eberhard.

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