Musk Says Apple Losing Luster; Ford May Fail in Next Recession

(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk is taking potshots at Apple Inc. and Ford Motor Co.

Tesla Inc. is endearing consumers with its electric cars, the chief executive officer told Recode this week. While Musk said he still uses an iPhone, he suggested that Apple gadgets have lost some of their luster.

“Apple used to really bring out products that would blow people's minds,” Musk said on the Recode Decode podcast released Friday. “They still make great products, but there's less of that. Like, I don't think people are necessarily running to the store for the iPhone 11,” an apparent reference to the iPhone XS.

Musk, 47, also called the car business “monumentally difficult” and repeated a point he's made in the past -- that Tesla and Ford were the only U.S. automakers to stay out of bankruptcy during the last recession. Next time, Ford may not be so lucky, he said.

“There's a good chance that Ford doesn't make it in the next recession,” Musk said.

--With assistance from Gerrit De Vynck and Keith Naughton.

To contact the reporter on this story: Craig Trudell in New York at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, Melinda Grenier, Tony Robinson

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