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Elon Musk Downplays Risk of COVID-19, Won’t Take Future Vaccine

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk continues downplaying risks associated with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking with reporter Kara Swisher, Musk shared his thoughts on a variety of topics including COVID-19 ramifications and the possibility of a vaccine. Musk Joined Swisher on Monday, on a New York Times podcast called “Sway.”

Musk emphatically stated that he would decline to receive a COVID-19 vaccination should one become available in the future.

“I’m not a risk for Covid, nor are my kids,” he confidently told Swisher.

Musk Talks Pandemic

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk is the third richest person in the world as the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. His total net worth is over $100 billion, according to the index.

He is also known to be outspoken and unafraid of sharing his sometimes controversial opinions. Earlier this year, Musk Tweeted that national “stay-at-home” procedures equate to “house arrest.” He also called the coronavirus panic “dumb” in March as the pandemic began to spread.

Musk suggested on the podcast that instead of stay-at-home orders, those at high risk for the virus should stay in.

“Anyone who is at risk should be quarantined until the storm passes,” he said.

When Swisher noted that people would still die in that scenario, he bluntly replied, “everybody dies” and called the pandemic a “no-win” situation.

“The question is what, on balance, serves the greater good,” he said.

Later in the interview, he said if one of his workers told him that coming to work would put them at risk, he would advise them to stay at home. When pressed by Swisher on if he would feel obligated to pay a worker who chose to stay at home, Musk became defensive and threatened to end the interview.

“Let’s just move on,” he said to Swisher . “I do not want to get into a debate about Covid. If you want to end the podcast now, we can do it.”

H/T: CNN