Elon Musk has never shied away from controversy. Over the past decade, the brash Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO has frequently clashed with federal regulators, competitors, and Wall Street analysts, among others.
Musk's latest controversy may be the most dangerous for Tesla's long-term health, though. By repeatedly downplaying the public health threat from COVID-19 and unilaterally reopening Tesla's Fremont factory prior to getting authorization from Alameda County officials, Musk has risked alienating wealthy coastal liberals, Tesla's main target market. With electrical vehicle (EV) market competition growing every year, this could easily backfire and disrupt the company's growth plan.
Elon Musk has been criticizing the public health response to the novel coronavirus for months. In his public comments, he repeatedly underestimated how widespread and deadly COVID-19 would be. Not surprisingly, he vigorously opposed the closure of Tesla's main factory as the Bay Area (and subsequently, all of California) banned non-essential activities.