Elon Musk revealed at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting that he has been the target of death threats.
The high-profile CEO of Tesla likened his situation to that of the murdered Beatles icon John Lennon. During the question and answer segment, Musk responded to concerns about his safety, acknowledging the need to enhance his personal security measures, including possibly improving his fitness to better protect himself from potential threats.
Elon Musk claims ‘two homicidal maniacs’ have tried to kill him, compares himself to John Lennon https://t.co/0zhIi0N3j0 pic.twitter.com/rGNFCaWa7G
— New York Post (@nypost) June 19, 2024
“I mean, it is getting a little crazy these days. The probability that a homicidal maniac will try to kill you is proportionate to how many homicidal maniacs hear your name,” Musk said at the annual meeting. “Actually did have two homicidal maniacs in the last roughly seven months come to aspirationally try to kill me, and a bunch of other people — so it’s not just me.”
Musk added that the threats have made him “more standoffish” with people who approach him in public for autographs.
“Think of, like, John Lennon, who was, like, singing about, like, ‘Hey, can’t we all just be nice to each other?’ and then he got shot, you know, by one of his fans,” Musk continued.
Lennon was shot in the back by ex-fan Mark David Chapman in 1980 just hours after signing an album for Chapman.
In addition to Musk’s security concerns, the meeting also focused on significant business developments for Tesla. A large majority of shareholders voted to approve Musk’s $56 billion compensation package, despite controversy and continued legal scrutiny. (RELATED: Elon Musk Reportedly Engaged In Campaign To Influence Elites Against Biden)
This package had been challenged in court, with Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen McCormick deeming it an “unfathomable sum” and moving to void the arrangement. Tesla is actively contesting this decision, seeking to overturn the ruling and maintain the agreed-upon compensation structure for Musk, according to New York Post.
