Subaru or Tesla? When activist Monica Lewinsky tweeted Thursday that she couldn't decide which automobile to purchase, Tesla co-founder Elon Musk responded by offering Lewinsky a sweet deal.
The short Twitter conversation between Lewinsky and Musk caused some social media users to debate which is the better car. Tesla manufactures cars that run solely on electricity. Subaru has yet to release a fully-electric vehicle, but does offer some hybrid models that feature gasoline engines and a rechargeable battery.
"so very me," Lewinsky tweeted. "can't decide between a subaru or a tesla."
"Try a Tesla & you're welcome to give it back if you decide you prefer a Subaru," Musk responded.
Lewinsky received buying advice from social media users, with Formula 1 racing executive Mark Gallagher casting his vote towards Tesla's electric vehicles.
"Better to be electrifying than a fossil," wrote Gallagher.
Author Jon Ronson told Lewinsky that he enjoys being the owner of a Subaru. "If it helps," Ronson tweeted, "I have a Subaru and everyone I pass look impressed! I love it. It tells the world that we are sensible and we have a very small amount of style."
Producer Peter O Riordan asked the obvious question in his tweet. "This offer extend to everyone ?" he wrote.
Lewinski has been a Subaru owner in the past. "i actually had a used subaru outback that was worth $1200 in parts by the end of college!" Lewinski tweeted.
Newsweek reached out to Subaru for comment.
In July, Elon Musk announced that Tesla would be building a new gigafactory in Austin, Texas to produce the Tesla Cybertruck. Projected to begin production in 2021, the manufacturing plant is expected to create at least 5,000 new jobs.
In a July statement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott welcomed the company, claiming that the factory would help "keep the Texas economy the strongest in the nation."
Musk has been the subject of criticism for some of his political views, including an opinion stated in July that another coronavirus economic stimulus package was not in the "best interests" of the American people.
Musk's comment drew the ire of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who called Musk a "hypocrite."
"Elon Musk has received billions in corporate welfare from U.S. taxpayers," Sanders tweeted in July. "Now he wants to stop 30 million Americans who lost jobs from receiving $600 a week in unemployment benefits, while his wealth has gone up for $46.7 billion over the past 4 months. Pathetic."
In September, Tesla stocks went down as the value of many technology companies decreased. Musk's net worth decreased by $16.3 billion on Tuesday, leaving him with an estimated net worth of $78.2 billion.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.