Get All Access for $5/mo

'Detached From Reality': Elon Musk Goes on Unprovoked Rant About Remote Work During Tesla Earnings Call Tesla was down 37% from the same time last year.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Elon Musk hates the concept of remote working — and he hasn't been shy about letting everyone know.

During Tesla's Q3 2023 Earnings Call on Wednesday, Musk sounded off on remote workers, saying they are "detached from reality" and "take advantage" of workers who are in office and Tesla factories.

"This is like some real Marie Antoinette vibes from people who say why is there no work from home. Like what about all the people that have to come to the factory and fill the cars or all people that have to go to the restaurant and make your food and deliver your food," Musk said during the call. "Why did I sleep in the factory so many times? Because it mattered."

Related: Elon Musk Says Remote Work Is 'Morally Wrong,' Calls It 'Messed Up'

Musk's comments seemed unprovoked — and pivoted from the call's discussion about the price elasticity of Tesla cars, particularly the Model Y.

Tesla is coming off a relatively rough quarter as the electric car company was down 37% from the same period last year, its lowest quarterly profit in two years.

Tesla leadership attributed Q3 expectation misses to vehicle price cuts in an attempt to increase demand and foster competition but noted a "lag" in cost reductions that affected overall margins.

This was not the first time Musk voiced his disdain at working from home.

Related: Elon Musk Brutally Tells Tesla Executives They Must Return to Offices 'Or Depart Tesla'

Last year, Musk sent an email to Tesla employees telling them to work a minimum of 40 hours a week in the office or "depart Tesla."

In May, he called remote work "morally wrong" during an interview with CNBC and got heated, claiming it's "not a productivity thing," cursing at those who believe it's an effective way to work.

"People should get off the goddamn moral high horse with the work-from-home bulls----," Musk said at the time.

Tesla was down over 8.3% in a 24-hour period following its Q3 earnings report.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Franchise

Kick-Start Your Small Business With These Cost Effective Strategies

Starting a small business is an exciting adventure, brimming with both opportunities and challenges. A key to success is effectively managing costs from the outset.