Author Joyce Carol Oates has stirred a new controversy with pointed remarks describing Tesla CEO Elon Musk as 'uneducated' and 'uncultured.'
The criticism comes as Musk edges closer to becoming the world's first trillionaire following Tesla board approval of his historic payout package.
Critics argue Musk possesses more wealth than he could ever reasonably spend and isn't deploying it meaningfully.
While billionaires like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have pledged to donate virtually their entire fortunes before death, Musk faces renewed scrutiny over a potentially $1 trillion Tesla pay deal.
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The package isn't without strings, though. Musk must meet stringent performance targets, including specific sales milestones for Tesla's electric vehicles, robotaxis, and Optimus robots, whilst somehow inflating the company's market capitalisation from its current $1.4 trillion to an enormous $8.5 trillion.
Among the critics, one prominent author has taken aim at the entrepreneur, questioning his cultural awareness and interests.
"So curious that such a wealthy man never posts anything that indicates that he enjoys or is even aware of what virtually everyone appreciates— scenes from nature, pet dog or cat, praise for a movie, music, a book (but doubt that he reads); pride in a friend’s or relative’s accomplishment; condolences for someone who has died; pleasure in sports, acclaim for a favorite team; references to history," Oates wrote on X in response to Musk's post. "In fact he seems totally uneducated , uncultured. The poorest persons on Twitter may have access to more beauty & meaning in life than the “most wealthy person in the world.”"
While Joyce Carol Oates didn't explicitly name Musk in her post, her reference to 'the most wealthy person in the world' clearly pointed to him, given his status as the world's richest individual according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a net worth of $461 billion.
In another post, the author of Them and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? appeared to soften her stance slightly: “In speculating about the “wealthiest man in the world “I did not actually state any name. I was thinking of the emblematic-the type of being that great wealth can make possible. But such wealth must seem unreal. Or ironic.
"It is impressive that Elon Musk allows critical commentary of himself on X. That is not usually a magnanimity of spirit commensurate with the extreme type of non- empathetic person."
