Elon Musk hits out at 'boring bonehead' analyst after being asked about Tesla record net loss

Following the conference call on Wednesday, Tesla stock then fell more than five percent in after-hours trading
Tesla CEO Elon Musk shut down some of the questions that referred to the company's net loss
AFP/Getty Images
Sophie Williams3 May 2018

Tesla boss Elon Musk hit out at an analyst and branded him a "boring bonehead" after he was quizzed about the company's record net losses.

The Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder responded to the analyst's query during a conference call on Wednesday saying: "Excuse me, excuse me. Next, next. Boring bonehead questions are not cool. Next."

During the first quarter of 2018,Tesla's net loss was $710m (£523m).

It was not the only question the CEO was not pleased with. He was also quizzed about the next step for the Tesla 3 car and replied: "We're going to YouTube. Sorry these questions are so dry."

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla shows off the new Model 3 car
REUTERS

He then took questions from YouTubers.

Following the CEO's comments, Tesla stock fell more than five percent in after-hours trading, reports CNBC.

The financial data released on Wednesday also revealed that Tesla also burned through $745.4m (£549m) during the first quarter.

However the 46-year-old said it was "quite likely" that Tesla would make money by the third quarter.

He said: "It's high time we became profitable. The truth is you're not a real company until you are, frankly. That's our focus right now."

Tesla had been hoping that the new Model 3 car would help raise cash to cover expenses. However the company has had difficulty keeping up with production. It's thought around 2,000 of the models are being made each week however half a million people have put down deposits on the car.

Tesla Model 3 launch

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The Model 3 was thought to the Tesla's most affordable car with prices starting at $35,000 (£25,700) with prices rising to $50,000 (£36,800).

Musk is also the founder and lead designer at Space X, a private aerospace manufacturer. In February, a Tesla vehicle was shot into space using a Space X rocket.

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