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Elon Musk inspires celeb jeweler to create the craziest Tesla bling yet

[Photo: Ben Baller/Instagram]

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If there is one attribute that Elon Musk is known for, it is his relentless drive and his refusal to give up. Musk has taken many risks in the past, and he continues to do so to this day. Both his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, have disrupted their respective industries over the years, and a lot of it was due to Musk’s bold approach and tendency to take high-stakes risks.

Admirers hail Musk as a visionary that is unafraid to toe the line between triumph and failure. Critics, on the other hand, see him as a careless leader who is always one step away from burning out. This week, though, one of Elon Musk’s avid supporters and a Model X P100D owner revealed a project that represents his gratitude to the inspiration he receives from the CEO’ work.

Ben Yang, better known as Ben Baller, is a musician, actor, and jeweler. Known for creating striking, bold jewelry under his brand — Icee Fresh Jewels — Ben has created numerous diamond-encrusted pieces for a long list of celebrity clients, including Kayne West, Drake, Snoop Dogg, The Black Eyed Peas, Mariah Carey, and Joel Madden. In a recent post on his Instagram page, Ben showcased the custom on-off Tesla ring that he is giving as a present to Elon Musk for the holiday season.

Ben Baller’s custom, 1 of 1 Tesla Ring that he is giving as a present to Elon Musk. (Photo: Ben Baller/Instagram)

Ben’s “1 of 1” Tesla ring features a lot of his trademark design elements. The ring itself is made of platinum, and it is covered by round, brilliant white diamonds and rubies. The focal point of the piece — a Tesla logo — even features a rare, trillion-cut diamond. A series of diamonds also spell out the electric car company’s name.

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In the description of his social media post, the jeweler notes that he is giving the ring to Musk because the CEO is an inspiration to him and his business partner, Paul Wall. Perhaps most importantly, Ben stated that he salutes Musk for putting it all on the line instead of retiring comfortably after he tasted success. Following is the jeweler’s message to the SpaceX and Tesla CEO.

Dear Elon Musk,

Please accept this 1 of 1 custom Diamond and Ruby Tesla ring for being an inspiration to me and my best friend, Paul.  

FYI both of us own Tesla Model X P100D’s and both of us appreciate what you’ve done for Americans and the world. FYI I have never gifted anyone a custom piece of jewelry in my career. In fact, I have a long list of clients who are waiting to pay for a piece by me, but they’ll have to wait so that we could gift you this ring for Christmas. Why are we giving you this ring? Because you have motivated me and Paul to level up and push limits. ??

This ring is made of solid Platinum, and I custom cut diamond baguettes to spell out T-E-S-L-A on the back of the ring. On the front of the ring, I set a rare Trillion cut diamond to emphasize the “T” logo surrounded by round brilliant white diamonds (all diamonds used on this ring are VVS1 clarity). The rest of the ring is made of the highest quality rubies all pave set by hand. This ring was designed and created here in America, just like your cars.

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We salute you for giving almost 50,000 jobs to Americans and putting USA back on the map as a serious contender in the auto industry. The last successful US car company startup before Tesla was Chrysler and that was 90 years ago. You could have easily retired after you sold PayPal but you bet it all on Tesla, and that takes BIG balls. Much respect. Please tell me where you would like us to deliver this ring.

And thank you for being awesome.

Reports from Hollywood news sites note that the one-off Tesla ring is valued at around $40,000. Elon Musk is also reportedly accepting the unique gift sometime next week.

It is difficult to deny that Elon Musk’s success is largely due to his refusal to pack it up and admit defeat. Both SpaceX and Tesla have come close to death in the past, and in both cases, Musk’s determination allowed the companies to stay afloat. Today, Musk is known as one of the world’s most daring visionaries — one who dreams big and executes on large, ambitious projects. This determination and tenacity was in full display in a 60 Minutes interview during the early days of SpaceX. When asked if he is ever going to surrender, Musk responded with what could very well be his most iconic quote to date.

“No, I don’t ever give up. I’d have to be dead or completely incapacitated,” he said.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Lifestyle

EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

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Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

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Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

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In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

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Elon Musk

X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

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Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

A Near Fall

During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately. 

Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.

X User to the Rescue

It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.

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Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Not Planned, But Welcomed

The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump. 

“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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