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Kimbal Musk trolls Fox with ‘Plant a Seed Day’ in exchange about Tesla’s new chair
It appears that the art of trolling runs deep between the Musk brothers. While Elon Musk is known to troll on Twitter from time to time, the trolling chops of Kimbal Musk have mostly been untapped. That is, of course, until recently, when Kimbal ended up aggravating Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney by trolling him with a barrage of plugs for “Plant a Seed Day,” an initiative from his nonprofit, Big Green, that aims to encourage American families to plant a seed on March 20, 2019.
During the amusing segment, the Fox Business host attempted to ask Kimbal about Robyn Denholm’s activities as Tesla’s new chair. Denholm, who has been with the board since 2014, and who has experience in both tech and auto companies as a finance executive, was named earlier this month as a replacement for the outgoing Elon Musk, who was forced to vacate his Chairman post as part of his settlement with the SEC. Denholm’s appointment was widely supported by Elon Musk and Tesla’s supporters, who noted that he was looking forward to working closely with the finance veteran.
It did not take long before Denholm’s appointment attracted some creative speculations among Tesla’s critics. Headlines such as “Tesla’s New Chair Is Part of the Furniture,” “Tesla’s New Chair Won’t Do Much to Rein In Elon Musk,” and “Taming Elon Musk: New Tesla chair, board members face a tough job” have been prevalent since Denholm’s appointment, suggesting that there might be a certain degree of conflict between Musk and the new chair as she attempts to keep the CEO in line.
Varney’s questions towards Kimbal Musk during the short-lived interview suggest that he was traversing a similar line. “Look, Kimbal, you are on the board at Tesla. And you’ve got a new chair. Have you heard anything from her? You’ve got to tell me, is she laying down the law? Have you had contact with her? What’s she saying? What’s she doing on the board?” the Fox Business host asked.
Kimbal Musk, for his part, proved immovable, simply stating that he was “so happy for the future of Tesla.” He also mentioned Plant a Seed Day on March 20, 2019, where his nonprofit, Big Green, aims to get a million American families to plant a seed in their backyards. During the course of the brief interview, Kimbal plugged Plant a Seed Day five times, much to the chagrin of the Fox Business host.
A visibly upset Varney eventually decided to throw in the towel, saying “You think my viewers want to learn about plant a seed day? Do you really? They don’t care, Kimbal. They don’t care!” Kimbal, for his part, continued plugging Plant a Seed Day, stating that the event is “going to be awesome.” At that point, Varney opted to cut the interview.
“Okay, okay. I’m wrapping it up, I’m sorry. Wait a minute, I am responsible to my audience. I’m sorry it’s over. I will not be used,” Varney said, visibly aggravated.
Plant a Seed Day is being coordinated by Big Green, Kimbal Musk’s nonprofit whose mission is to promote and foster a healthy food lifestyle for America’s schoolchildren. A centerpiece of Big Green’s initiatives is the Learning Garden, which are modular gardens that are set up in schools where children could plant and harvest crops. In a blog post on Medium, Kimbal noted that Plant a Seed Day is working with “national and international distribution, brand, and sponsorship partners” to get over 1 million seeds to families for March 20, 2019.
“At Big Green, when my team works with a new Learning Garden school, we encourage teachers to have their students draw out their dream garden. It’s one of my favorite activities because this is when the magic begins. Kids will draw unicorns watering tomato plants, banana trees growing next to their school, or plants that talk, walk, and water themselves. The creativity and energy put toward creating a dream garden is endless. Soon the children realize the real magic of a garden is in planting a seed, watering it, caring for it, and watching it grow.
“Planting a seed is the first and powerful step to making a big change in food education. We have seen this critical step taken thousands of times in the schools we work with through Big Green. On March 20, 2019 we will bring those magical moments to millions of children.”
To learn more about Plant a Seed Day, click here.
Watch Kimbal Musk’s short-lived interview with Fox Business below.
Elon Musk
SpaceX issues statement on Starship V3 Booster 18 anomaly
The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX has issued an initial statement about Starship Booster 18’s anomaly early Friday. The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX’s initial comment
As per SpaceX in a post on its official account on social media platform X, Booster 18 was undergoing gas system pressure tests when the anomaly happened. Despite the nature of the incident, the company emphasized that no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and personnel were kept at a safe distance from the booster, resulting in zero injuries.
“Booster 18 suffered an anomaly during gas system pressure testing that we were conducting in advance of structural proof testing. No propellant was on the vehicle, and engines were not yet installed. The teams need time to investigate before we are confident of the cause. No one was injured as we maintain a safe distance for personnel during this type of testing. The site remains clear and we are working plans to safely reenter the site,” SpaceX wrote in its post on X.
Incident and aftermath
Livestream footage from LabPadre showed Booster 18’s lower half crumpling around the liquid oxygen tank area at approximately 4:04 a.m. CT. Subsequent images posted by on-site observers revealed extensive deformation across the booster’s lower structure. Needless to say, spaceflight observers have noted that Booster 18 would likely be a complete loss due to its anomaly.
Booster 18 had rolled out only a day earlier and was one of the first vehicles in the Starship V3 program. The V3 series incorporates structural reinforcements and reliability upgrades intended to prepare Starship for rapid-reuse testing and eventual tower-catch operations. Elon Musk has been optimistic about Starship V3, previously noting on X that the spacecraft might be able to complete initial missions to Mars.
Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) received fresh support from Piper Sandler this week after analysts toured the Fremont Factory and tested the company’s latest Full Self-Driving software. The firm reaffirmed its $500 price target, stating that FSD V14 delivered a notably smooth robotaxi demonstration and may already perform at levels comparable to, if not better than, average human drivers.
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Analysts highlight autonomy progress
During more than 75 minutes of focused discussions, analysts reportedly focused on FSD v14’s updates. Piper Sandler’s team pointed to meaningful strides in perception, object handling, and overall ride smoothness during the robotaxi demo.
The visit also included discussions on updates to Tesla’s in-house chip initiatives, its Optimus program, and the growth of the company’s battery storage business. Analysts noted that Tesla continues refining cost structures and capital expenditure expectations, which are key elements in future margin recovery, as noted in a Yahoo Finance report.
Analyst Alexander Potter noted that “we think FSD is a truly impressive product that is (probably) already better at driving than the average American.” This conclusion was strengthened by what he described as a “flawless robotaxi ride to the hotel.”
Street targets diverge on TSLA
While Piper Sandler stands by its $500 target, it is not the highest estimate on the Street. Wedbush, for one, has a $600 per share price target for TSLA stock.
Other institutions have also weighed in on TSLA stock as of late. HSBC reiterated a Reduce rating with a $131 target, citing a gap between earnings fundamentals and the company’s market value. By contrast, TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating and a $509 target, pointing to strong autonomous driving demonstrations in Austin and the pace of software-driven improvements.
Stifel analysts also lifted their price target for Tesla to $508 per share over the company’s ongoing robotaxi and FSD programs.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship Version 3 booster crumples in early testing
Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
SpaceX’s new Starship first-stage booster, Booster 18, suffered major damage early Friday during its first round of testing in Starbase, Texas, just one day after rolling out of the factory.
Based on videos of the incident, the lower section of the rocket booster appeared to crumple during a pressurization test. Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
Booster test failure
SpaceX began structural and propellant-system verification tests on Booster 18 Thursday night at the Massey’s Test Site, only a few miles from Starbase’s production facilities, as noted in an Ars Technica report. At 4:04 a.m. CT on Friday, a livestream from LabPadre Space captured the booster’s lower half experiencing a sudden destructive event around its liquid oxygen tank section. Post-incident images, shared on X by @StarshipGazer, showed notable deformation in the booster’s lower structure.
Neither SpaceX nor Elon Musk had commented as of Friday morning, but the vehicle’s condition suggests it is likely a complete loss. This is quite unfortunate, as Booster 18 is already part of the Starship V3 program, which includes design fixes and upgrades intended to improve reliability. While SpaceX maintains a rather rapid Starship production line in Starbase, Booster 18 was generally expected to validate the improvements implemented in the V3 program.
Tight deadlines
SpaceX needs Starship boosters and upper stages to begin demonstrating rapid reuse, tower catches, and early operational Starlink missions over the next two years. More critically, NASA’s Artemis program depends on an on-orbit refueling test in the second half of 2026, a requirement for the vehicle’s expected crewed lunar landing around 2028.
While SpaceX is known for diagnosing failures quickly and returning to testing at unmatched speed, losing the newest-generation booster at the very start of its campaign highlights the immense challenge involved in scaling Starship into a reliable, high-cadence launch system. SpaceX, however, is known for getting things done quickly, so it would not be a surprise if the company manages to figure out what happened to Booster 18 in the near future.
SpaceX issues statement on Starship V3 Booster 18 anomaly
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
