(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk swears that he's funny.
The Tesla Inc. chief executive officer, testifying under oath on Monday at a trial over the electric carmaker's controversial 2016 acquisition of SolarCity, said he leans into his sense of humor to generate free publicity for the company. He cited his proclaiming himself “Technoking” earlier this year as an example.
“If we are entertaining people, they would write stories about us and we don't have to spend on advertising which would reduce the price of our cars,” Musk said Monday.
“I do have a sense of humor,” Musk added. “I think I'm funny.”
Some who watched his May 8 turn as host of “Saturday Night Live” may disagree. Musk got decidedly mixed reviews for the gig, which included his last appearance on the witness stand -- as video-game character Wario facing trial for the murder of Mario of Mario Brothers fame.
Musk discussed his humor in response to questioning in Chancery Court in Wilmington, Delaware, by lawyer Randy Baron. The attorney represents shareholders who claim the Tesla CEO breached his fiduciary duty by pushing the more than $2 billion deal for SolarCity, in which he was also the largest investor.
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