Billionaire Elon Musk is known for taking cryptic potshots at rivals on Twitter. His newest target was Apple CEO Tim Cook. It was Apple’s latest accessory, the $19 cleaning cloth, that triggered Musk this time.
The tweet from Musk came in response to Cook’s announcement about opening an Apple store in Istanbul.
“Introducing Apple Bağdat Caddesi, our beautiful new store in Istanbul. We’re glad to be a part of this vibrant community and we can't wait to welcome customers to this spectacular new space,” said Cook.
“Come see the Apple ClothTM,” was Musk’s cheeky reply.
Apple’s cleaning cloth intended for its wide array of devices costs Rs 1,900 in India. It is made of non-abrasive material and is listed as compatible with iPhones and Macs dating back to 2012. Apple promises that it will "safely and effectively" clean any Apple display. Bloomberg said the product was Apple’s “highest margin physical product,” with most microfibre cloths costing in the range of $1.5.
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This is not the first time that Musk has taken a dig at Apple or Cook. Earlier this year, Musk criticised Apple App Store’s “walled-garden” ecosystem, during the legal battle of Apple and Epic Games.
"I think we do want to emphasise that our goal is to support the advent of sustainable energy," Musk said in response to a question about letting competitors use its charger network.
"It is not to create a walled garden and use it to bludgeon our competitors that are used by some companies."
Musk has also criticised the company over its cobalt use. Cobalt mining has been associated with human rights issues like forced child labour and severe environmental damage near mining locations.
"Apple uses, I think, almost 100 percent cobalt in their batteries and cell phones and laptops, but Tesla uses no cobalt in the iron-phosphate packs, and almost none in the nickel-based chemistries," Musk said during a conference call to discuss Tesla’s earnings report on July 26.
Cook and Apple aren’t the only ones at the mercy of Musk’s tweets. Billionaire Jeff Bezos and his companies, Amazon and Blue Origin often end up being
ridiculed by Musk on Twitter. Over the years, Musk has made fun of Bezos’ age, the Blue Origin design, Blue Origin’s naming choices, Amazon’s monopoly, Blue Origin’s technological capabilities etc.
Musk also baited Vernon Unsworth, the British cave diver who was instrumental in rescuing the trapped Thai schoolboys in 2018. Musk had called Unsworth a "pedo guy" in a series of now-deleted tweets.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: Oct 25, 2021 5:36 PM IST
