Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he is committed to being the chief executive of Tesla Motors for another five years, unless he "dies", while threatening jail time to those who have turned against the company over his role in the US government.
"I can't be CEO if I'm dead," the world's wealthiest person said in an online interview to delegates at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.
He said his $100 billion pay package, and whatever compensation he may get in the future, is justified and does not affect his intention to remain at the helm of the company.
Mr Musk touted Tesla's sales and financial performance – despite it tanking in recent months – and the "millions" of humanoid robots the company is building.
"I think, obviously, there should be compensation for if ... something incredible was done," he said. "I'm confident that whatever some activist posing as a judge in Delaware happens to do will not affect the future compensation," he added, referring to Chancery Court Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, who struck down Mr Musk's pay package in December when it was worth $56 billion.
"I can't be sitting there and wanting to get tossed out for political reasons by activists," he added, while declining to discuss the matter further.
Mr Musk has also threatened people who have damaged Tesla stores and sent him death threats, saying that authorities will come after them and they "deserve" to go to jail.
"They're on the wrong side of history and that's an evil thing to do ... I've not harmed anyone, so something needs to be done about them, and a number of them are going to prison and they deserve it," he said. "The people that funded them and organised them will also go to prison."
Mr Musk said he was pushing through with his lawsuit against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT and of which he was an early backer. Mr Musk and OpenAI boss Sam Altman have exchanged barbs and insults, after the former accused the company of diverging from its non-profit goal. Mr Altman responded by saying Mr Musk was insecure and regretted leaving the company.
“I came up with the name OpenAI as open-source … intended to be a non-profit company, and now, they're trying to change that for their own financial benefit into a for-profit company that is closed-source,” said Mr Musk, who provided about $50 million in initial funding.
“So this would be like, let's say you funded a non-profit to help preserve the Amazon rainforest, but instead of doing that, they became a lumber company, took down the forest and sold the wood.”
Things turned testy when Mr Musk was asked if there was any conflict of interest with Starlink’s potential entry into South Africa, where he was born, especially after a Bloomberg report on Tuesday said Johannesburg might bend the rules for his company, especially as President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Washington to meet US President Donald Trump.
He griped against the country’s Black Economic Empowerment laws, which require that black company ownership ranges between 25 per cent and 100 per cent.
“Why are there racist laws in South Africa? That’s the first question,” he said, challenging the host, Bloomberg Weekend editor-at-large Mishal Husain, to answer the question on conflict of interest.
“I'm in this absurd situation where I was born in South Africa but can't get a licence to operate Starlink because I'm not black,” he added. Mr Musk also did not rule out a potential initial public offering for Starlink.
As for his role in the US government – he is a special government employee leading the Department of Government Efficiency – he defended his actions to slash federal spending that have cost people jobs and prompted widespread anger, saying he and his team are not "dictators" and merely serve as advisers to the government, which ultimately has the final decision.
He also pushed back at reports that the vast downsizing at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) would result in the deaths of more people, with vital supplies cut off.
Mr Musk also took aim at Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who two weeks ago accused Mr Musk of “killing” children with cuts made to USAID.
“Who does Bill Gates think he is to make comments about the welfare of children, given that he was close friends with Jeffrey Epstein?” Mr Musk said, referring to the disgraced US financier who died in prison while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Mobile phone packages comparison
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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The%20Hunger%20Games%3A%20The%20Ballad%20of%20Songbirds%20%26%20Snakes
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
