The $1 million bet that ended Sam Harris and Elon Musk’s friendship – Here’s what happened
Agencies
Podcaster and neuroscientist Sam Harris has shared the details of his falling-out with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a lengthy Substack post titled “The Trouble With Elon.” Harris, who had known Musk since 2008, explained that their years-long friendship ended in 2020 over their differing views on the emerging COVID-19 pandemic and Musk’s handling of the crisis. Harris described Musk as a once remarkable figure who had become increasingly obsessed with social media, leading to an eventual breakdown in their relationship
The Initial Disagreement Over COVID-19
The beginning of the rift can be traced back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, Musk sparked controversy when he tweeted, “The coronavirus panic is dumb,” a statement that Harris felt could exacerbate the global health crisis. In response, Harris privately texted Musk, urging him to reconsider the tweet.
He wrote, “Hey, brother— I really think you need to walk back your coronavirus tweet. I know there’s a way to parse it that makes sense (‘panic’ is always dumb), but I fear that’s not the way most people are reading it. You have an enormous platform, and much of the world looks to you as an authority on all things technical. Coronavirus is a very big deal, and if we don’t get our act together, we’re going to look just like Italy very soon. If you want to turn some engineers loose on the problem, now would be a good time for a breakthrough in the production of ventilators…
Musk’s response to Harris was brief and dismissive, telling him, “Sam, you of all people should not be concerned about this,” with a link to a CDC website stating that COVID-19 was not among the top 100 causes of death in the U.S. Harris described Musk’s reply as “a patently silly point to make in the first days of a pandemic,” and the disagreement continued to escalate.
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The $1 Million Bet and the Growing Rift
The disagreement took a more dramatic turn when Musk bet Harris $1 million for charity against a $1,000 bottle of tequila that the U.S. would not see more than 35,000 cases of COVID-19. Harris, recognising the severity of the pandemic, tried to up the bet to 3.5 million cases, but Musk rejected the idea, insisting that 35,000 was the right number.
Weeks later, as the pandemic rapidly spread, the U.S. saw more than 600,000 cases and 35,000 deaths. Harris responded by texting Musk: “Is (35,000 deaths + 600,000 cases) > 35,000 cases?” According to Harris, this text was met with silence, marking the end of their friendship.
In his Substack post, Harris said, “This text appears to have ended our friendship.” He added that Musk never replied to the message, and their relationship continued to deteriorate publicly after that. Musk, in turn, began criticising Harris on social media, calling him “mentally ill” and “an utter idiot.”
A Friendship Turned Sour: Harris’s Criticism of Musk
Harris’s criticism of Musk didn’t stop at the COVID-19 bet. Over the years, he had observed Musk’s growing reliance on social media, particularly Twitter (now X), and the effect it was having on his moral compass. Harris expressed concern about Musk’s increasing indulgence in online debates and the spreading of disinformation.
“Any dispassionate observer of Elon’s behaviour on Twitter/X can see that there is something seriously wrong with his moral compass, if not his perception of reality,” Harris wrote in his post. He also accused Musk of amplifying misleading clips of Harris’s own podcasts, which were taken out of context and misrepresented his views. Harris referred to this as an example of Musk being “gamed by the right-wing trolls who gave us Pizzagate.”
In another incident, Harris recounted how Musk would engage with conspiracy theorists connected to disinformation campaigns, such as those involved in the viral Pizzagate scandal. “These people would send him a clip of my podcast, maybe this podcast, making it seem like I have said the opposite of what I said in the context,” Harris explained.
Musk’s Public Attacks on Harris
As their friendship unravelled, Musk continued to target Harris publicly. On multiple occasions, he called him “mentally ill” and “subtarded” on Twitter/X. Harris reflected on these attacks, lamenting how Musk’s public persona had shifted from that of a once-revered figure to someone consumed by social media noise and controversy.
“I will email him and say, Elon you are being gamed by the right-wing trolls who gave us Pizzagate…This is not what I said in context. And he will tell me to go f**k myself,” Harris said. “He does not care if he’s defaming someone in public who used to be a friend.”
In 2022, Harris ultimately left Twitter, but Musk’s attacks did not stop. Harris noted that Musk’s social media behaviour was having a damaging effect on both his reputation and relationships, something he described as “a cautionary tale for any of Elon’s friends who might be tempted to tell the great man something he doesn’t want to hear.”
The End of a Long Friendship
The final break in their friendship came as Harris observed Musk’s growing addiction to social media and the disinformation that spread through his online interactions. Musk’s public attacks and his increasing involvement in divisive online discourse marked a stark contrast to the person Harris had once respected.
Harris concluded his Substack post by reflecting on the rapid transformation of Musk, stating that despite Musk’s remarkable potential and talents, he was now “the most likely to squander his ample opportunities to live a happy life, ruin his reputation and most important relationships, and produce lasting harm across the globe.”
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