NEW YORK: Shares of Tesla Inc. fell 2.75 percent on Monday after Chief Executive Elon Musk directed abuse on Twitter at one of the British cave divers involved in the rescue of 12 Thai children last week.
A number of analysts and investors, requesting anonymity, told Reuters that Musk’s comments are adding to their concerns that his public statements are distracting him from Tesla’s main business of producing electric cars. The stock sell-off knocked almost $2 billion off the company’s market value.
Tesla shares closed at $310.10 before rising 1.9 percent in after-hours trading.
James Anderson, a partner at Tesla’s fourth-largest shareholder, asset manager Baillie Gifford, called the weekend’s events “a regrettable instance” and said he had reiterated to the company the need for “peace and execution” of its core business.
The billionaire entrepreneur’s spat with British diver Vernon Unsworth started last week, after rescue teams rejected Musk’s offer of a mini-submarine created by his rocket company SpaceX to help rescue a 12-member soccer team and their coach trapped inside a flooded cave in the northern province of Chiang Rai.
“He can stick his submarine where it hurts,” CNN reported Unsworth as saying. “It just has absolutely no chance of working.”
Musk shot back on Sunday on Twitter: “We will make one (video) of the mini-sub/pod going all the way to Cave 5 no problemo. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it.” The tweet was later deleted.
Tesla spokespeople and lawyers did not respond to emails and phone calls from Reuters requesting comment on Musk’s comments on Twitter.
Musk gave no evidence for alleging Unsworth was a pedophile. Unsworth said he would consider taking legal action against Musk over the remarks, in comments filmed in Chiang Rai on Monday by Australia’s 9News. Reuters could not reach Unsworth for comment.
Unsworth’s wife told Reuters on Monday that her husband was returning to Britain on July 19, where he will speak to lawyers.
Last week, Narongsak Osottanakorn, the leader of the rescue operation in Thailand, rejected Musk’s mini-submarine as not suitable for the task. Musk responded on Twitter on July 10, calling Osottanakorn “not the subject matter expert.”
Musk also regularly uses Twitter to criticize media reports on Tesla, which has struggled to meet its own production targets for its Model 3 sedan, which is seen as key to the company’s profitability.
Tesla shares fall after CEO Musk abuses British diver
Tesla shares fall after CEO Musk abuses British diver
- The billionaire entrepreneur’s spat with British diver Vernon Unsworth started last week, after rescue teams rejected Musk’s offer of a mini-submarine created by his rocket company SpaceX
- Musk gave no evidence for alleging Unsworth was a pedophile
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in green at 10,917
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Monday, gaining 4.86 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 10,917.04.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR3.95 billion ($1.05 billion), as 102 of the listed stocks advanced, while 147 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index increased, up 0.54 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 1,467.06.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 85.41 points, or 0.36 percent, to close at 23,357.50. This comes as 19 of the listed stocks advanced, while 46 retreated.
The best-performing stock was Tourism Enterprise Co., with its share price surging by 10 percent to SR13.53.
Other top performers included Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co., which saw its share price rise by 8.64 percent to SR39.22, and Anaam International Holding Group, which saw a 4.05 percent increase to SR12.59.
Alramz Real Estate Co. saw its share price rising by 3.95 percent to close at SR61.85, while Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction Co. closed at SR18.08, marking a 3.67 percent increase in share price.
On the downside, the worst performer of the day was Saudi Industrial Export Co., whose share price fell by 3.72 percent to SR2.59.
ACWA Power Co. saw its share price fall 3.54 percent to SR177.20, while Naseej International Trading Co. declined 3.08 percent to SR29.56.
Moreover, the share price of Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. dropped 2.95 percent to close at SR6.57, while Nice One Beauty Digital Marketing Co. saw its share price dropping 2.65 percent to SR17.97.
On the announcement front, Alinma Capital has declared a cash dividend distribution totaling SR6.55 million for unitholders of the Alinma Saudi Government Sukuk ETF Fund.
The dividend, covering the period from July to December, amounts to SR0.162 per unit and represents approximately 1.56 percent of the fund’s net asset value as of Jan. 15.
Its share price closed at SR10.42 on the main market, marking a 0.1 percent increase.
Also, Itmam Consultancy Co. has been awarded a significant project by the Digital Government Authority to develop digital investment skills within the public sector.
The contract, officially granted on Jan. 19, is valued at more than 5 percent of the company’s total 2024 revenue.
According to a statement, the program aims to equip government employees with the expertise needed to enhance digital government investment efficiency, focusing on software license development aligned with legal and technical standards.
Its share price remained unchanged on Nomu at SR16.40.
