Elon Musk charms China's social media with frugal food, choice of accommodation
Elon Musk's visit to China was productive. He visited Gigafactory 3, attended an AI conference and met several government officials. Still, after the trip, Musk left the country with more respect from China's social media users, especially because of his meticulous accommodations and food choices.
Musk is no stranger to discomfort. During the Model X production ramp, Musk made headlines when it was revealed that he was sleeping in the Fremont plant to help solve any problems that might arise in the SUV's production line. The CEO repeated this during Model 3's "production hell", a period Musk admitted was one of the most challenging he has experienced in his career.
It is then quite surprising that when Elon Musk went to China last week, he chose to stay in convenient accommodations. Unlike conventional CEOs who tend to indulge in only the best available amenities, Musk chose to stay at a Holiday Inn during their busy trip.
While Musk went to Beijing last Friday, the CEO was spotted by social media users along with other executives eating in a famous, low-key Baozi (stuffed bun) shop for lunch. The restaurant is well known in the area, but it is still very simple and significantly less fancy compared to fine dining in the city, with an order with cleats priced at only 6 yuan (84 US cents). Musk and his exec did not receive any special treatment while they were eating either, as the team waited in line for food just like everyone else in the restaurant.
While Musk is among the world's richest with an estimated net worth of around $ 1[ads1]9 billion, he is no stranger to turning it off when needed. During the first days of, for example, his and his brother Kimbal's first company, Zip2, Musk burned the midnight oil on an almost consistent basis, and it was not usual to find him sleeping only at a bean bag near his workstation, practically gone out of work. When Tesla and SpaceX were both in serious stress during the 2007-2008 financial crisis, Musk would regularly sleep on friends' couches as needed.
In Ashlee Vance's book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and Quest for a Fantastic Future Google CEO Larry Page joked that despite the wealth that Musk had amassed during his career, the accommodations have his not always been the best. "He's kind of homeless, which I think is a little funny. He sends an email saying, & # 39; I don't know where to stay tonight. Can I come over? & # 39; I haven't given him some key or something yet, "Page said lightly.
Perhaps Musk's willingness to step away from the most fun and comfortable facilities is quite unusual for some of his size. Yet, for China's social media community, the least such traits approved and perhaps even admired.
