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Elon Musk won't get Covid-19 vaccine when it's out as he's 'not at risk', Internet slams him as 'elitist'

Musk also denounced lockdowns in place in several regions across the country in an attempt to curb the virus spread, and called the decision a grave mistake

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in a recent interview, revealed he will not take a novel coronavirus vaccine when it's available because he and his children are "not at risk." The billionaire also defended his decision to continue running his Tesla factories amidst the pandemic, in defiance of regional lockdowns. The 49-year-old Tesla and SpaceX founder, in an interview with Kara Swisher on the New York Times' podcast, said that even when vaccines for Covid-19 are released, he will not take one. When asked by the host: "Will you get a vaccine? What will you do with your own family?" Musk, in a curt reply, said: "No, I'm not at risk for COVID. Nor are my kids."

Musk also denounced lockdowns in place in several regions across the country in an attempt to curb the virus spread, and called the decision a grave mistake. "I mean this is a hot button issue where rationality takes a back seat. In the grand scheme of things what we have something with a very low mortality rate and high contagion," the CEO continued. "Essentially the right thing to do would be to not have done a lockdown for the whole country but to have anyone who is at risk quarantine until the storm passes," he added.

The billionaire also noted that the virus has not restricted his work schedule and his aerospace manufacturer company SpaceX has sent astronauts to space and back. He, however, faced obstructions in keeping his Tesla factories in California open. Musk said: "Tesla has been, apart for several weeks where we were shut down by the state, and then the overzealous Alameda County, which was a travesty, but apart from that we’ve been making cars this entire time and it’s been great." Tesla, in May, filed a lawsuit against Alameda County officials for attempting to shut the company's main Fremont warehouse through June because of the virus. 

Musk's comments, however, were slammed as "elitist" by many on social media as one user wrote: "He literally implies in the article that he is rich enough to maintain extreme distance from the peasants. Not that the vaccine doesn't work." While another suspected that he has already been infected by the virus: "Let’s face it – considering his lifestyle (he meets tons of people every day) he has already been sick or will most definitely contract the virus by the time the vaccine is out. Yes – we are not sure, whether you can be ill twice, but there’s a good chance you can’t." While a third wrote: "And this is the guy we are pinning our hopes to get to Mars? We are doomed."

During the interview, the podcast host pointed out how Musk's perspective on the pandemic was contradictory to much of his other works in the name of saving humanity - from eco-friendly carts to space explorations. The Tesla CEO, however, said: "Everybody dies," referring to the human cost of a pandemic that has take over 200,000 lives and infected over seven million in the United States. Referring to the lockdown amidst the pandemic, Musk said: "It has diminished my faith in humanity, the whole thing...the irrationality of people in general."

When asked how his employees who feel at risk while coming to work, he said: "Great, stay at home...If they have a legitimate reason to be at risk then they should stay at home. When the host pressed him further to think about his employees working amid the pandemic, the billionaire responded, saying: "Let’s just move on... Kara, I do not want to get in a debate about the COVID situation."