• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

2

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow

1

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

2

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
TechApple

Elon Musk Spouts Off About Steve Jobs and Mars—Again

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 14, 2015, 2:58 PM ET
Tesla Annual Meeting
FILE - In this April 30, 2015, file photo, Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks with members of the media at Tesla's headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. Musk says the company expects to start deliveries of its new SUV, the Model X, in three or four months. He told investors at the company's annual meeting Tuesday, June 9, 2015, that he's test driving the Model X now. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)Photograph by Noah Berger — AP
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

When it comes to Apple (AAPL), Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk just can’t seem to keep his opinions to himself.

In a wide-ranging interview recently published by GQ, the outspoken Musk was asked to comment about Steve Jobs and the late Apple co-founder’s legacy. Before he could stop himself, Musk uttered a word he ultimately would try to backtrack on.

“The one time I met Steve Jobs, he was kind of a jerk. And everyone I know who met him…,” Musk told GQ. According to the report, Musk then stopped his train of thought and asked to “withdraw” his comment. He attempted to clarify that it was a “personal experience” and that it was Google’s (GOOG) Larry Page who introduced him to Jobs several years ago. He noted that Jobs simply may not have known who he was.

“The last thing I need is to generate animosity, you know,” he told GQ.

Some might argue that Musk’s animosity towards Apple has been piling up already. After all, it was Musk who has said on numerous occasions that he has poached Apple employees, and the iPhone maker had tried to respond by offering Tesla employees more cash. He has also scoffed at the Apple Watch and tauntingly invited Apple to join him in the electric car business. Most recently, in an October interview, Musk said that Apple has become the “Tesla Graveyard,” a place where employees who can’t hack it at Tesla, end up.

So far the spat has been one-sided—none of the salvos have been returned from Cupertino.

But Musk isn’t only focused on Apple. He is arguably one of the technology industry’s elite minds. He co-founded PayPal to kick off digital payments, has become a titan in the burgeoning electric car market with Tesla, got the idea to put solar panels on homes with SolarCity, and is sending rockets to space with his SpaceX venture. Now, he’s working on building responsible artificial intelligence company, called OpenAI, with some of the industry’s other elites, including venture capitalist Peter Thiel and LinkedIn (LNKD) co-founder Reid Hoffman.

If anything, Musk is a true visionary who likes to speak his mind and share his grand visions for the future.

Those grand visions were on full display in his interview with GQ. Musk said that SpaceX is internally working on a rocket, known by the code name BFR, that could ultimately lay the foundation for getting people to Mars. The long-sought-after mission, which some experts say could take decades to accomplish, is something Musk believes could happen much sooner. Indeed, the 44-year-old Musk says it’s possible that the first manned Mars mission may launch when he is in his fifties.

This isn’t the first time Musk has talked about Mars. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, he also said that detonating a nuclear bomb on Mars could make it habitable. Earlier this year, he said that he would present a plan by the end of 2015 for ultimately colonizing the planet. He now tells GQ that those plans have been pushed back, and an announcement won’t be made until early next year, so he can refine the plans.

 

“It’s really big,” Musk says of his plans. “It’s really big. There’s not been any architecture like this described that I’m aware of.”

Looking ahead, Musk doesn’t seem to have plans to slow down. Like many of companies, his ideas for the future are sci-fi-like in proportion. He tells GQ that he wants to design Hyperloop, a new mode of transportation through tubes, and is eyeing ways to use a supersonic jet capable of taking off and landing vertically as a means for long-distance travel.

While Musk has yet to bring the ideas to fruition, it’s possible he might. After all, many other big ideas that he’s had have turned into multi-billion-dollar companies.

His only issue along the way may just be keeping his opinions on Apple—and its co-founder—to himself.

For more about Elon Musk and his troubles with Apple, check out the following Fortune video:

[fortune-brightcove videoid=4545945657001]

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

Google logo is displayed on a smartphone in front of the EU Flag.
CybersecurityGoogle
EU strikes Google with $1 billion fine in major crackdown on antitrust regulations even as Trump threatens retaliation
By The Associated Press and Sam McNeilJuly 24, 2026
12 hours ago
AI executives demand OpenAI release more details about how the Hugging Face hack happened
AIOpenAI
AI executives demand OpenAI release more details about how the Hugging Face hack happened
By Emily ForliniJuly 24, 2026
13 hours ago
woman yellow shirt standing in front of ring light
SuccessSocial Media
Influencer marketing isn’t an experiment anymore as companies expand their creator advertising budgets
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 24, 2026
13 hours ago
dario
AIEconomics
Anthropic’s head of economics just explained why we haven’t seen a white-collar bloodbath — yet
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 24, 2026
14 hours ago
jh
AINvidia
Jensen Huang just used his first ever X post to warn the AI industry not to make the mistake that software narrowly avoided in the 1980s
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 24, 2026
14 hours ago
pjm
EnergyData centers
The AI boom’s hidden electricity bill — and why you’re paying it
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 24, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
1 day ago
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 24, 2026
22 hours ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
3 days ago
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
AI
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.