Overview
- Musk posted on X that if Gates has not closed his roughly eight‑year Tesla short, he should do so soon.
- The warning followed disclosures that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sold about 65% of its Microsoft holdings, totaling roughly $8.8 billion in the third quarter.
- Gates has not publicly confirmed or denied the current status of any Tesla short since acknowledging it in leaked 2022 texts.
- Tesla shares closed Friday at $404.35, down nearly 15% from a recent peak near $478, yet up more than 26% over 12 months and 148% over five years.
- Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography reported Gates incurred about $1.5 billion in losses from the multi‑year bet, and Musk has questioned Gates’ climate philanthropy because of the position.