Elon Musk Upset Over Bezos Snub After 2004 SpaceX Tour, Reveals New Book

Subscribe to Newsletter

Elon Musk Upset Over Bezos Snub After 2004 SpaceX Tour, Reveals New Book

13.09.2023 13 September 2023
4574
2 min.
10 connections

flickr.com

Elon Musk Upset Over Bezos Snub After 2004 SpaceX Tour, Reveals New Book

Musk and Bezos in rivalry

Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin have ignited a fierce battle for space dominance, creating what many call the "billionaire space race." Let's dive into the key moments of their rivalry and how it all began.

The Early Encounters

In 2020, SpaceX marked a significant milestone with its first manned spaceflight. Not to be outdone, Blue Origin, led by Jeff Bezos himself, achieved the same feat in 2021. These achievements set the stage for a long-standing competition.

The Birth of a Rivalry

It all started back in 2004 when Elon Musk invited Jeff Bezos to tour SpaceX. However, tensions arose when Musk didn't receive a reciprocal invitation to tour Blue Origin's factory, as revealed in Walter Isaacson's recent biography of Musk.

A Dinner to Remember

In response to Musk's pointed email, Bezos extended an invitation of his own. The two billionaires, along with their then-wives MacKenzie Scott and Justine Musk, shared a dinner. Reports suggest that the dinner had its share of awkward moments, including Musk offering unsolicited advice to Bezos, though the specifics remain undisclosed.

The Ongoing Rivalry

Over the past 18 years, Musk and Bezos have clashed repeatedly over their space ambitions. They've engaged in public spats, briefly held the title of the world's richest individuals, and disagreed on crucial matters within the space industry.

Current Wealth Rankings

As of the latest data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk is now the world's richest person, boasting a staggering net worth of $242 billion. His wealth is primarily derived from SpaceX and Tesla. In contrast, Bezos, with a net worth of $165 billion, holds the title of the world's third-wealthiest individual, mainly due to his holdings in Amazon.

Public Swipes and Controversies

Throughout their rivalry, Musk and Bezos have had their share of headline-worthy moments. Musk's cheeky "Jeff who?" response to Bezos' congratulations on SpaceX's 2015 achievement made waves. The 2021 NASA moon mission contract further fueled tensions, with Musk taunting Bezos and encouraging him to focus on Blue Origin for more progress.

MUSK Elon Reeve

CEO of Tesla
#1128
BEZOS Jeff

Industrialist, media proprietor, and investor
#3881
MacKenzie Scott

Novelist, philanthropist
#4214
ISAACSON Walter

American author, journalist, and professor
#1887
MUSK Justine

Canadian author
#4873
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

#38
Bloomberg L.P.

#71
Tesla

#448
Blue Origin

#737
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)

#752

Tags:

Section: business

<!-- advertisement 10-->
<div class="mobileShow">
<script>
  atOptions = {
    'key' : '33fb986b72fdc254fb0c1e79be22e3ec',
    'format' : 'iframe',
    'height' : 250,
    'width' : 300,
    'params' : {}
  };
</script>
<script src="https://www.highperformanceformat.com/33fb986b72fdc254fb0c1e79be22e3ec/invoke.js"></script>
</div>
<div class="mobileHide">
<script>
  atOptions = {
    'key' : '60966449084d21264769e3d9bdff986a',
    'format' : 'iframe',
    'height' : 90,
    'width' : 728,
    'params' : {}
  };
</script>
<script src="https://www.highperformanceformat.com/60966449084d21264769e3d9bdff986a/invoke.js"></script>
</div>

7 September 2025

culture

Orlando Bloom Reveals What Happened at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Wedding in Venice

Orlando Bloom’s Wild Summer Orlando Bloom has had a whirlwind summer — one that included a he...

10 July 2025

politics

Jake Tapper Accuses Donald Trump of 'Playing the Public for Fools' in Scathing CNN Rant

Tapper Tears Into Trump CNN’s Jake Tapper didn’t hold back in tearing into President Do...

7 April 2025

culture

Sam Harris Slams Joe Rogan Over Misinformation, Faces Backlash

Podcast Power Clash Sam Harris is under fire after accusing Joe Rogan of misusing his podcast&rsquo...

15 March 2025

culture

Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez & Gayle King to Join Historic Space Mission

Women Reach for Space Blue Origin, the spaceflight company founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, is...

<!-- advertisement 11-->
<div class="mobileShow">
<script type="text/javascript">
	atOptions = {
		'key' : '33fb986b72fdc254fb0c1e79be22e3ec',
		'format' : 'iframe',
		'height' : 250,
		'width' : 300,
		'params' : {}
	};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//www.highperformanceformat.com/33fb986b72fdc254fb0c1e79be22e3ec/invoke.js"></script>
</div>
<div class="mobileHide">
<script type="text/javascript">
	atOptions = {
		'key' : '60966449084d21264769e3d9bdff986a',
		'format' : 'iframe',
		'height' : 90,
		'width' : 728,
		'params' : {}
	};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//www.highperformanceformat.com/60966449084d21264769e3d9bdff986a/invoke.js"></script>
</div>

14 September 2026

culture

Chris Olsen Addresses Meghan Trainor Feud Rumors and Friendship Status

No Beef After All Chris Olsen has shut down speculation that his friendship with Meghan Trainor has ...

13 September 2026

culture

John Malkovich Wins Best Actor at Venice Film Festival Amid Oscar Buzz

John Malkovich Wins Venice Best Actor Award John Malkovich has claimed one of the Venice Film Festiv...

12 September 2026

culture

Sandra Bullock Reveals Why She Quit Rom-Coms After Disturbing Auditions

Bullock’s Risky Career Pivot Sandra Bullock has revealed that she deliberately stepped away fr...

11 September 2026

politics

Jimmy Kimmel Slams FCC ‘Threats’ as White House Fires Back

FCC Clash Escalates Jimmy Kimmel has taken his dispute with the Federal Communications Commission a ...

10 September 2026

culture

BBC Line of Duty star Martin Compston teases new series and says 'this is the end'

Compston Teases Final Chapter Line of Duty star Martin Compston has suggested the BBC drama is appro...

8 September 2026

culture

Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams Addresses Arya Stark Spinoff Rumors and Possible Return

Arya Spinoff Gets Hope Maisie Williams is open to returning as Arya Stark, but only if the Game of T...

<!-- advertisement 12-->
<div class="mobileShow">
<script type="text/javascript">
	atOptions = {
		'key' : '33fb986b72fdc254fb0c1e79be22e3ec',
		'format' : 'iframe',
		'height' : 250,
		'width' : 300,
		'params' : {}
	};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//www.highperformanceformat.com/33fb986b72fdc254fb0c1e79be22e3ec/invoke.js"></script>
</div>
<div class="mobileHide">
<script type="text/javascript">
	atOptions = {
		'key' : '60966449084d21264769e3d9bdff986a',
		'format' : 'iframe',
		'height' : 90,
		'width' : 728,
		'params' : {}
	};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//www.highperformanceformat.com/60966449084d21264769e3d9bdff986a/invoke.js"></script>
</div>

Us Weekly

White House

National Football League (NFL)

Instagram

Netflix

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

X Corp.

The National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

CBS News

TMZ

OLSEN Chris

There is currently no beef

MALKOVICH John

I am humbled to be chosen for this award, which has been given to so many wonderful actors over the past 83 iterations of the Venice Film Festival

KIMMEL James

This is yet another attack on free speech, something that has become all too familiar for us at the show, for us in the country

COMPSTON Martin

It's for Jed to say, it's not for me to say whether the show will ever end but I think it's fair to say that this is the end of the story arc that's been building since series one. Everything will come to a head on this one.

WILLIAMS Margaret

I don’t know, really. She would have to be developed in some way because I feel like I’ve changed so much

Genetic Genealogy Without Illusions: What DNA Tests Actually Show

31 August

DNA Tests That Determine Origin Have Become a Mass Pastime, but Behind Their Results Lies Something Far More Fundamental Than a List of Ethnic Percentages

11 September

III BUTLER Jimmy

American professional basketball player
NEILL Nigel

New Zealand actor
PATRICK KING Michael

American director
SUTTER Ryan

American television personality
DEUTCH Howard

American film and television director
GILFORD David

English professional golfer
WATSON Deshaun

American professional footballer
DUBROW Terry

American plastic surgeon and television personality
MOREY Daryl

American basketball executive
FURLONG Matt

Chief Executive Officer at GameStop

Sober Day 14 September

The National Day of Sobriety is celebrated every year on September 14 as part of the month-long National Sobriety Month. This day was established in 2 ...

Elon Musk Upset Over Bezos Snub After 2004 SpaceX Tour, Reveals New Book

Musk and Bezos in rivalry

The Early Encounters

The Birth of a Rivalry

A Dinner to Remember

The Ongoing Rivalry

Current Wealth Rankings

Public Swipes and Controversies

Persons5 and Companies5 in the news

Related news

Last news

NEW YORK NEWS

Sober Day 14 September

Persons⁵ and Companies⁵ in the news