In 2009, Elon Musk Made a Bet On the Model S And Ended Up Paying $1 Million - Here's How It All Went Down

Elon Musk - the 2009 Bet On the Model S

It was the year 2009 and Elon Musk and Dan Neil made a bet on whether Tesla could make a Model S, with specs that Elon promised in 2009, before 2012 ended.

The bet was that Elon Musk would pay Dan Neil $1 million if Tesla did not deliver on those specs, and Dan would pay Elon $1,000 if Elon Musk did deliver on the specs of the Model S.

For reference, the Model S is Tesla's flagship luxury sedan that was produced after the original Tesla Roadster.

In addition, Dan Neil is the author of "Rumble Seat", which is a column that runs on Saturdays in the Wall Street Journal.

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— Jeremy Noel Johnson (@AGuyOnlineHere) December 25, 2023

Dan had this to say specifically:

Mr. Musk then bet me $1 million that he would do it and, graciously acknowledging our rather different financial situations – he's wealthy and I'm not – said the bet would be only $1,000 to me. In either case, he wrote, the winnings would go to the charity Doctors Without Borders. Seeing this as a rare opportunity to facilitate a $1 million donation to a worthy cause, I accepted.

Here's what happened:

Tesla delivered the Model S with a few months to spare in 2012 and Dan Neil lost the bet and paid $1,000 to the charity, Doctors Without Borders.

This story and bet didn't end here, however.

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Where the $1 Million Went

Elon Musk still paid his portion of the bet, even though he won this bet and delivered on the promise of the Model S for 2012.

Elon's portion was $1 million, and he also donated this money to the same charity. He even had this to say about doing good:

Is it really just a question of money to restore hearing? I'm always looking (for) ways to donate money that are actually good. Perhaps this is one. It's very hard to donate money to actually do good, not merely the appearance of it.

Donating $1 million dollars to Doctors Without Borders shows that Elon actually wanted to do good.

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— Jeremy Noel Johnson (@AGuyOnlineHere) December 24, 2023

This is one of many numerous ways in which Elon Musk has shown that he is someone that truly cares about others. Many may think Elon Musk is cruel, however, to think that is to not really understand Elon Musk.

Elon Musk and Tesla have even been snubbed by the White House and have constantly fought an uphill battle.

Elon may be a very driven and hardworking individual who demands the very best from his employees. Tesla may be extremely difficult to get into as a company - harder than even Harvard. However, Tesla expects only exceptional work from its exceptional people.

Being a hardworking person and demanding the best isn't the same as someone who is cruel to others. Those that stay with Tesla are millionaires due to the success of the company.

This bet shows that Elon Musk believes in himself and his companies, keeps his word, and wants to do actually good - not just the appearance of doing good.

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What do you think about this bet with Elon Musk and Dan Neil? Was Elon Musk doing actual good here?

Share this article with friends and family and on social media - or leave a comment below. You can view my most recent articles here for further reading. I am also on X/Twitter where I post more than just articles daily, as well as LinkedIn! Thank you so much for your support!

Thanks Dan, you are a good sportsman. I will still donate to DWB as though I'd lost. http://t.co/G2g6kpvm
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2012

Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.

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Article Reference: Wall Street Journal