Musk Turns His Diplomatic Gaze to China-Taiwan From Ukraine

He angered Ukraine president with comments about ceding Crimea
CEO says in a tweet that’s he’s ‘trying to do the right thing’

Elon Musk
Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

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By Dana Hull

October 7, 2022 at 9:21 PM UTC

Updated on

October 8, 2022 at 1:35 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, sees himself as a man “trying to do the right thing, which is not always clear.”

But in recent days his remarks about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the tensions between China and Taiwan have demonstrated the risks of public diplomacy by a billionaire with complex business interests around the globe.