Elon Musk feud with Bill Gates sparks after Gates Foundation sells Microsoft stake

Elon Musk has reignited his long-running feud with Bill Gates after fresh filings revealed that the Gates Foundation unloaded a massive portion of its Microsoft stake.

The sale, which reportedly amounted to a 65% reduction in the position, immediately triggered new tension as Musk publicly revisited Gates’ controversial short bet against Tesla.

According to recent disclosures, the Gates Foundation’s move resulted in an estimated $8.8 billion gain, but it also opened the door for Musk to revive criticism of Bill Gates’ years-long wager against Tesla.

Musk warned on X (formerly Twitter) that if the short position wasn’t fully closed, Gates “had better do so soon,” pointing to the bet’s poor performance as Tesla shares have rallied nearly 19% over the past year.

Notably, the Microsoft stake cut also coincided with a broader reshuffling of the foundation’s portfolio, prompting observers to question whether Gates was attempting to distance himself further from the Tesla short controversy.

However, Musk has framed the moment as yet another example of what he sees as Gates undervaluing Tesla’s mission and long-term prospects.

While billionaire rivalries aren’t new, the renewed clash underscores how financial decisions continue to fuel personal and public tensions between two of tech’s most influential figures.