'We Are Summoning The Demon': 3 Times Elon Musk Was 'Funny' And A Bunch Of Times He Wasn't

Aside from his impressive accomplishments and leading numerous companies, Elon Musk has also garnered attention for bringing levity and an attitude of irreverence to his often serious endeavors.

Here are three eyebrow-raising quotes from Musk and the times he said them:

• Stress Management. In a conversation with Recode's Kara Swisher in 2018, Musk was asked about the challenges he's faced while leading Tesla Inc TSLA. "I think there are definitely some days when I'm like, 'Oh man, I'm in the middle of hell right now.' And then, you know, I'll like, have a whiskey, and three of them, and then suddenly it seems like, actually it's not so bad," he said.
• Thoughts On AI. During a Reddit AMA in 2015, Musk was asked about his thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI). In response, he stated, "We are summoning the demon." This ominous statement quickly went viral, with many interpreting it as a tongue-in-cheek warning about the dangers of AI.
• Never Boring. Another memorable quote by Musk was during an interview with CBS News in 2018, where he discussed his tunnel construction venture, The Boring Company. When asked about the company's name, Musk joked, "I was just going to call it 'Tunnels-R-Us,' but it turns out that's already taken by a soft play company for kids."

Musk's sense of humor, while amusing to at least a portion of his more than 132 million Twitter followers, isn't always shared by all.

From tweeting "Nuke Mars!" to calling the COVID-19 panic "dumb," Musk's Twitter timeline has long been a hotbed of controversies. Recently, the business magnate made a remark about a Taylor Swift performance that didn't go over well with the "Anti-hero" singer's fans.

And last year, Musk apparently praised the hacked footage from Hunter Biden's phone — which contained graphic images of sex acts and drug use.

"A+ cinematography," Musk, the world's wealthiest person, quipped.

Stephanie Ruhle, host of MSNBC’s “11th Hour,” clapped back: “Imagine the positive impact you could have on the world if you used the extraordinary amount of influence and power you have to spread decency, kindness and positivity?”

There was also the infamous July 2018 tweet in which Musk referred to a British diver involved in the rescue of a Thai soccer team from a cave as a “pedo guy.”

Also in 2018, Musk took to Twitter to announce that he plans to take Tesla private at $420 a share. Although he never followed through, the tweet cost him and the company a combined $40 million to settle fraud charges with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Musk's comments have naturally landed him in hot water with investors, including Tesla bull Gene Munster. Musk's "personal actions," including comments made on Twitter, were jeopardizing investors, Munster said.  

“Your behavior is fueling an unhelpful perception of your leadership — thin-skinned and short-tempered," he wrote in a scathing letter.

Despite all the pushback, Musk continues to accumulate wealth thanks to his ownership stakes in SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter, which he acquired for $44 billion in 2022.

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.