Musk asks X followers if Tesla should sink US$5 billion into xAI
- The billionaire posted the one-line question on his X handle shortly after Tesla reported a fourth straight quarter of disappointing profit
![Elon Musk speaks at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California, May 6, 2024. Photo: Getty Images/TNS](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/24/9bbc3f81-16b8-4276-bab1-2f9f08593751_4db40da0.jpg?itok=oCyq0UOl&v=1721795957)
Elon Musk is asking his X followers whether Tesla should invest US$5 billion into his own AI start-up, saying he was “testing the waters” for a potential deal.
The billionaire posted the one-line question on his X handle shortly after Tesla reported a fourth straight quarter of disappointing profit. On a post-earnings call, Musk was asked about the possibility of the electric car maker investing in xAI or integrating the Grok chatbot into Tesla software.
“Tesla is learning quite a bit from xAI,” Musk told Wall Street analysts. “It’s been actually helpful in advancing full self-driving and in building up the new Tesla data centre.”
![The xAI logo is seen near a computer motherboard in this illustration photo taken January 8, 2024. Photo: Reuters The xAI logo is seen near a computer motherboard in this illustration photo taken January 8, 2024. Photo: Reuters](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/24/280c68cc-ddeb-45aa-9186-c7126220a833_bd93ff36.jpg)
Musk then said he was supportive of the idea of Tesla investing in xAI if there was shareholder approval. He tweeted out his poll on the matter Tuesday night.
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)