In a recent discussion, Elon Musk revealed that Apple aggressively targeted Tesla employees by offering them salaries that were double what they earned at Tesla. This recruitment effort coincided with Apple”s attempts to develop its own electric vehicle.
During a three-hour conversation with John Collison of Stripe and podcast host Dwarkesh Patel, Musk shared insights into the competitive job market within the tech industry. He noted that Apple was particularly relentless in its recruiting strategy, which he described as “carpet bombing” Tesla with phone calls to potential hires.
According to Musk, this aggressive approach led many Tesla engineers to disconnect their phones to escape the constant barrage of recruitment calls. He emphasized that Apple made lucrative offers without even conducting initial interviews, further highlighting the severity of the situation.
Musk referred to this phenomenon as the “Tesla pixie dust” problem, suggesting that companies believed hiring Tesla employees would guarantee their own success. He acknowledged that this belief is misguided, stating, “People are people. There”s no magical pixie dust.”
Despite the competition for skilled workers, Musk admitted that he had also fallen prey to the same mindset when hiring for his ventures. He recounted experiences where he assumed that bringing in talent from renowned companies like Google or Apple would automatically lead to success.
The conversation also touched on Musk”s forward-looking plans regarding artificial intelligence. He expressed concerns about the future of AI development, particularly regarding hardware and power generation. Musk predicted that within the next year, there would be a significant gap in power generation capabilities relative to the number of chips produced.
His bold proposal? Relocate AI operations to space. Musk asserted that in approximately 36 months, space could become the most cost-effective environment for AI, citing the advantages of abundant solar energy and minimal atmospheric interference.
Additionally, Musk discussed the challenges he faces in recruiting for SpaceX“s Starbase in Texas, particularly due to the difficulties married engineers encounter when relocating to remote areas without job opportunities for their spouses.
Nevertheless, Musk remains committed to accelerating hardware production, stating, “Whichever company can scale hardware the fastest will be the leader.” He concluded with a note of optimism about the future of the technology sector, suggesting that it is better to embrace optimism even if it leads to being wrong than to adopt a pessimistic view that could hinder quality of life.
