Elon Musk’s 5 most embarrassing moments in public

The tech billionaire Elon Musk is often hailed as one of the greatest innovators of our time and a tech visionary who has revolutionised the electric car industry, redefined space exploration, and constantly pushed the boundaries of artificial intelligence (AI).

But behind his achievements lies a track record of public missteps and blunders that sometimes make him the centre of ridicule.

Here are some of Musk’s most embarrassing moments that continue to shock and amuse the world.

Embarrassing moments of Elon Musk 

1. Failure of the Tesla Solar Roof campaign

Musk once promised that Tesla’s Solar Roof would dramatically cut costs and make clean energy accessible to everyone.

However, the campaign faced enormous technical and financial challenges. Prices didn’t drop as Musk had projected, and installations lagged far behind expectations.

Instead of reshaping the renewable energy market overnight, the project dented Tesla’s reputation.

2. The Cybertruck glass disaster (2019)

Perhaps Musk’s most infamous public blunder came in 2019 during the much-hyped launch of the Tesla Cybertruck.

To showcase its “unbreakable” armored glass, Musk had an employee throw a steel ball at the vehicle’s window.

To everyone’s shock, the glass shattered instantly, not once, but twice. The failed demonstration wiped billions off Tesla’s market value in seconds and instantly became meme material worldwide.

3. Tesla Model 3 production chaos

The Tesla Model 3 was supposed to be the company’s breakthrough into mass-market electric vehicles.

Instead, Musk’s ambitious production targets quickly unraveled. The company missed deadlines, deliveries were delayed, and quality control issues surfaced.

Musk himself admitted Tesla was in “production hell,” a phrase that perfectly captured the chaos.

4. The Bill Gates “emoji insult” (2022)

In 2022, Musk sparked controversy when he mocked Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Twitter (now X) by pairing his photo with a “pregnant man” emoji.

The post went viral, with some calling it childish and others seeing it as classic Musk humour. While Musk brushed it off, the jab added to his reputation for using social media recklessly.

5. Musk's bizarre appearance in Wisconsin (2023)

In March 2023, Musk made headlines for a bizarre public appearance in Wisconsin while endorsing a political candidate.

Wearing a giant foam block of cheese on his head, a nod to local football culture, he awkwardly handed out million-dollar checks to voters.

However, things got worse when hecklers interrupted his speech, leaving him visibly flustered. 

The stunt, which was intended to be light-hearted, came across as strange and uncomfortable, sparking “second-hand embarrassment” across the internet.