{"id":6065,"date":"2025-08-18T09:30:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T09:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/18\/tesla-svp-zhu-dumps-82-shares-since-2023-musk-targets-short-sellers-revives-gates-clash-business-news\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T09:30:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T09:30:59","slug":"tesla-svp-zhu-dumps-82-shares-since-2023-musk-targets-short-sellers-revives-gates-clash-business-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/18\/tesla-svp-zhu-dumps-82-shares-since-2023-musk-targets-short-sellers-revives-gates-clash-business-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Tesla SVP Zhu Dumps 82% Shares Since 2023; Musk Targets Short Sellers, Revives Gates Clash | Business News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"story-9511935\">\n<p><span class=\"jsx-730caffcddfd709\">Last Updated:<\/span><time class=\"jsx-730caffcddfd709\">August 18, 2025, 14:45 IST<\/time><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"asubttl-9511935\" class=\"jsx-4625396a04d15488 jsx-4116327731 asubttl-schema\">Tesla SVP Tom Zhu sold over 82% of his shares between 2023-2024,. CEO Elon Musk warned short sellers of being &#8220;obliterated&#8221; with full autonomy.<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jsx-45a692afa6f47900 artsharwrp\">\n<div id=\"artshare\" class=\"jsx-45a692afa6f47900 artshare\">\n<div class=\"jsx-45a692afa6f47900 stickdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-45a692afa6f47900 deskwrapstkdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-45a692afa6f47900 fontchange\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/font.svg\" height=\"30px\" width=\"30px\" alt=\"font\" class=\"jsx-45a692afa6f47900 lazyload\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"jsx-4625396a04d15488 jsx-4116327731 amimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again taken aim at short sellers, reviving memories of his past clashes with high-profile investors such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.\" title=\"Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again taken aim at short sellers, reviving memories of his past clashes with high-profile investors such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/ibnlive\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&amp;width=400&amp;height=225\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"jsx-4625396a04d15488 jsx-4116327731\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again taken aim at short sellers, reviving memories of his past clashes with high-profile investors such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"0\" class=\"story_para_0\">Tesla Senior Vice President Xiaotong \u201cTom&#8221; Zhu has offloaded more than 82% of his Tesla shares since 2023, according to regulatory filings. The stock sales, carried out between 2023 and 2024, were executed at prices ranging from $174 to $323 per share. Zhu\u2019s large divestment has fueled speculation over insider sentiment at a time when CEO Elon Musk is ramping up his rhetoric against short sellers.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1\" class=\"story_para_1\">Responding to a post on X (formerly Twitter) that listed Tesla\u2019s major short positions, Musk warned that those betting against the EV maker would be \u201cobliterated&#8221; once the company achieves full-scale autonomy. \u201cIf they don\u2019t exit their short position before Tesla reaches autonomy at scale, they will be obliterated,&#8221; he wrote.<\/p>\n<p id=\"2\" class=\"story_para_2\">Short selling is a trading strategy where an investor borrows shares from a broker and sells them at the current market price, expecting the price to fall. Later, the investor buys back the shares at a lower price and returns them to the broker. The difference between the selling price and the repurchase price is the profit.<\/p>\n<p id=\"3\" class=\"story_para_3\">Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again taken aim at short sellers, reviving memories of his past clashes with high-profile investors such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.<\/p>\n<p>Bill Gates had been reported to have taken a short position against Tesla stock in 2022, meaning he bet on the stock price declining. This information primarily stems from Walter Isaacson\u2019s 2023 biography of Elon Musk and subsequent discussions on X and various news outlets.<\/p>\n<p>Gates reportedly admitted to Musk in 2022 that he was shorting Tesla stock, a revelation that fueled a public feud between the two billionaires. Musk criticized Gates, arguing that shorting Tesla, a company focused on sustainable energy, contradicted Gates\u2019 public stance on environmental issues. Gates confirmed the short position during a meeting at Tesla\u2019s Gigafactory in Austin, where he apologized to Musk, though tensions remained.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4\" class=\"story_para_4\">In a post on X last year, Musk warned, <em data-start=\"380\" data-end=\"497\" data-is-last-node=\"\">\u201cIf Tesla does become the world\u2019s most valuable company by far, that short position will bankrupt even Bill Gates.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atawrap\">\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atadetailwrp\">\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd ataname\"><span class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atthumb\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"authorimg\" src=\"data:image\/jpeg;base64,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\" class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd attitle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/byline\/business-desk-19052.html\" class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atamail\">Business Desk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al&#8230;<span class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd aurpdebtn\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al&#8230;<!-- --> <span class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd aurpdebtn\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-4625396a04d15488 jsx-4116327731 artcta\">Stay updated with all the latest business news, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/markets\/\">market trends<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/topics\/stocks-to-watch\/\">stock updates<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/tax\/\">tax<\/a>, IPO,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/banking-finance\/\">banking finance<\/a>, real estate, savings and investments. 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Also <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Download the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/eng-article-eop\">News18 App<\/a> to stay updated.<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"jsx-4625396a04d15488 jsx-4116327731 coral-count-custom\">view comments<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-4625396a04d15488 jsx-4116327731 brdcrmb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/\">News<\/a>  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/\">business<\/a>  <span class=\"brdout\"> Tesla SVP Zhu Dumps 82% Shares Since 2023; Musk Targets Short Sellers, Revives Gates Clash<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"coral-wrap\" class=\"jsx-9278cad478d6a6dc \">\n<div class=\"jsx-9278cad478d6a6dc coral-cont\">\n<div class=\"jsx-9278cad478d6a6dc coltoptxt\">Disclaimer: Comments reflect users\u2019 views, not News18\u2019s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/disclaimer\/\" class=\"jsx-9278cad478d6a6dc\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/privacy_policy\/\" class=\"jsx-9278cad478d6a6dc\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"jsx-4625396a04d15488 jsx-4116327731 rmbtn news18_read_more\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/business\/tesla-svp-zhu-dumps-82-shares-since-2023-musk-targets-short-sellers-revives-gates-clash-ws-l-9511935.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated:August 18, 2025, 14:45 IST Tesla SVP Tom Zhu sold over 82% of his shares between 2023-2024,. CEO Elon Musk warned short sellers of being &#8220;obliterated&#8221; with full autonomy. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again taken aim at short sellers, reviving memories of his past clashes with high-profile investors such as Microsoft co-founder&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}