Benzinga - by Shanthi Rexaline, Benzinga Editor.
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk had a sarcastic response to management consultant BCG ranking his EV company as the second-most innovative firm of 2023, behind iPhone maker Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
What Happened: Tesla climbed three positions to secure the number two position. When a Tesla enthusiast shared the ranking graphic on X (formerly Twitter), Musk remarked, “The amazing part is being so high on the list despite not using BCG.” He was implying that Tesla achieved its innovation without the assistance of the strategic management consultant.
This comment appeared to allude to other companies on the list that engage with BCG, suggesting a potential conflict of interest.
The amazing part is being so high on the list despite not using BCG— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2023
Tesla enthusiasts, including influential figures like Omar Qazi, who goes by the handle @WholeMarsBlog, criticized BCG’s rankings.
Qazi highlighted Tesla’s innovative contributions, such as the Cybertruck with steer-by-wire technology, the 48V system, the 4680 structural battery pack, the Dojo supercomputer entering production, advancements in end-to-end full-self-driving software, and a new design for the Optimus Tesla bot.
“Apple's biggest innovation of the year was getting rid of the mute switch,” he added.
Why It Matters: The discussion unfolds amid growing criticism of Apple for incremental updates to its flagship devices like the iPhone and iPad, with some users expressing disappointment in the perceived lack of innovation.
When Apple announced the latest iteration of its iPhone, the iPhone 15, a disgruntled user said, “Apple's innovation died with Steve Jobs.”
In the BCG rankings, other tech giants Amazon, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Alphabet, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG), and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) secured positions in the top five. Interestingly, Musk’s SpaceX venture, focused on revolutionizing space tourism, and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), at the forefront of the AI revolution this year, were notably absent from the top 10, landing at the 13th and 14th spots, respectively.
Price Action: Tesla closed Tuesday’s session up 1.61% at $256.61, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
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