Elon Musk 'trolls' Bill Gates with launch of bizarre 'Macrohard' business

Elon Musk has launched a new company with a suggestive name in an apparent dig at Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates.

When the billionaire isn't growing his fortune or and outcompeting Oracle's Larry Ellison in the wealth ladder, or boycotting Netflix, he's launching new ventures.

Musk's portfolio already includes Tesla, SpaceX, xAI and The Boring Company, not to mention his role in the White House earlier this year.

Now, the South African entrepreneur has announced he's recruiting software engineers for a new company called 'Macrohard'. According to Musk, the company's mission is to recreate everything Microsoft can do and more using only artificial intelligence.

He shared the xAI Careers job listing on X, writing: "MACROHARD, the much stronger AI equivalent of that other software company!"

Despite many initially assuming it was merely a joke at Microsoft and its co-founder, Bill Gates, Musk seems pretty serious about it. He trademarked the name in August and is now actively building the company from the ground up.

The filing covered downloadable computer programmes and software, including text generation tools, coding tools, and digital assistants.

Meanwhile, the name 'Macrohard' appears deliberately chosen to provoke the tech giant and fits perfectly with Musk's playful sense of humour.

Confirming his latest project, Musk said: "It’s a tongue-in-cheek name, but the project is very real!"

The billionaire added: "In principle, given that software companies like Microsoft do not themselves manufacture any physical hardware, it should be possible to simulate them entirely with AI."

xAI's Grok confirmed the joke also on X, sharing: "Macrohard is xAI's playful project name (a nod to Microsoft) for building a fully AI-simulated software company.

"The goal: since firms like Microsoft produce no physical hardware, AI could theoretically replicate their entire operations—from coding to management. It's real, and we're hiring!"

Of course, this is not the first time Musk has fired digs at Gates, who no longer formally runs Microsoft but maintains an advisory role and remains its most recognisable face.

Just before surpassing philanthropist Gates as the world's second-richest person in 2020, Musk dismissed him as 'underwhelming' after Gates admitted purchasing an electric Porsche rather than a Tesla.

The pair have also clashed over climate change and finance, with Musk particularly angered that Gates shorted Tesla stock, betting the company would lose value.

"Once Tesla fully solves [self-driving] autonomy and has Optimus in volume production, anyone still holding a short position will be obliterated. Even Gates," Musk posted back in 2024.

Asked about the insults in an interview with the BBC in 2022, Gates said: "There’s no need for him to be nice to me.