Elon Musk takes a Tesla break in China in the middle of the trade war
Tesla has interrupted new orders for its Model S and Model X vehicles in China, following the American decision to impose 145% prices on Chinese imports. This decision signals the early repercussions of President Trump’s escalation.
without brand – worthy of interest
When Steve Riabov launched his Silicon Valley construction company six years ago, his hero was another commercial entrepreneur: Elon Musk.
Riabov thought that if he was modeled his kitchen and bathroom renovation company after the leader of “daring, adventurous and daring” technology would help his business flourish in a house for construction of houses of several million dollars. So he appointed his business Musk construction.
But in recent months, Riabov, 35, has become disappointed with his idol, who has metaphorically and literally took a chainsaw to the federal government as head of the president Donald TrumpDepartment of Government Efficiency. Riabov, originally from Ukraine, was also deeply upset by Musk’s recent comments on his country of origin.
Thus, he is now determined to purge musk of musk construction – even if it will cost him between $ 15,000 and $ 20,000 to obtain a new brand and company allowed. And it has already removed the Musk Construction logo from the Red Tesla vehicles from the company, as well as the vanity plates, “Musk Up” and “Musk Inc”.
“I can’t bear it,” Riabov told USA Today. “I no longer align myself with all its values. I have to change the name.”
What is in a name?
We do not know how many other entrepreneurs have appointed their companies after Musk while he was preparing as a national hero. So it is not clear if others, like Riabov, now have doubts.
But clearly, the reputation of Musk has changed since the time when it was valued as the man who has become The richest in the world By directing Tesla and SpaceX and co-founding the PayPal online payment site.
Recent bosh The shows of many Americans now have a Unfavorable opinion on muskwho also owns or co-founds of companies, including the social media site X (formerly Twitter)Neuralink, who develops implantable cerebral computer interfaces, the artificial intelligence company XAI, and the Boring Company, which provides tunneling technology – which he has no named after himself.
Now, with the slowdown in sales and even certain customers who have signed contracts backwards for fear of a possible affiliation with Musk, Riabov believes that the association is injured rather than helping the results of its business.
“I came too far to stop now,” said Riabov about the name change. “There is no return. Too many people are counting on me.”
Musk, which Riabov never met, did not respond to a request for comments.
An expert who seeks the interaction between companies and political actors said that Riabov’s decision to change the name of his business was logical.
Strategic decisions are important, in particular in the face of economic conditions faced with slowdowns, “said Dinesh HasijaTrade professor at Augusta University in Georgia. “As long as the name of your business aligns with its fundamental values, its strategic vision and the values of your customers, it is more likely to bear fruit.”
Path to an idol
In 2014, Riabov lived in Luhansk, Ukraine when he declared that the Russian army had invaded his hometown within the framework of Donb’s invasion.
Riabov said he had been kidnapped to be a spy for Ukraine and spent two weeks to be token in a basement. He shakes his head while recalling the situation and catches a copy of his self-published autobiography, “Hitchhiking to one million – the history of Ukrainian refugees,” where he wrote on the experience, for support.
He stops, collects himself and said quickly, “I saw people die in there. I could have died there and my dreams would have died with me. With the help of his mother to identify him, the kidnappers finally released him.
Riabov fled Ukraine with his then girlfriend, an English teacher, as 2015 approaches. They did hitchhiking through Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand.
They asked for tourist visas in the United States. With the financial help of their friends and family, the couple returned to Malaysia and flew to Los Angeles with only $ 70 with each other when they arrived in America, said Riabov.
“We were naive, but determined to make a living,” he said.
After sleeping in the streets for two weeks in Los Angeles, they did hitchhiking in San Ramon, California. There, they applied and obtained political asylum, which makes them eligible to work.
During the next two years, Riabov, who spoke of a limited Englishman, worked like a handyman doing odd jobs in the region, living in his boss’s garage, to save money, said Riabov.
His English improved by reading books and listening to audio books on the creation of businesses and biographies on entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson. But he climbed towards “Elon Musk: Tesla, Spacex and the quest for a fantastic future” “ by Ashlee Vance.
“Musk’s motivation was motivating,” said Riabov. “He was determined to build things on Mars, and I said to myself:” He will need help. Why can’t he be me? “”
Riabov asked for a limited liability company (LLC) and, in 2019, trained his construction company in San Jose and chose to appoint it in honor of Musk.
“I understood that it should be something clear, interesting, to inspire and concentrate,” said Somberly Riabov, who has reached American citizenship. “I thought it was a good idea.”
Using the name of Musk has become “bad for business”
But at the end of last year, Riabov began to fear that the name of musk could be “bad for business”, while the entrepreneur became more rooted with the presidential campaign of Trump.
Riabov said it had become too much for him and his staff in February when Musk argued that Trump Public dressing of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy And blamed Zelenskyy for the Ukrainian invasion of Russia.
Riabov was also exasperated when Musk described Senator Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., As a “Traitor” on his support for Ukraine And called at the end of all help in the United States in the country.
“I almost cried, it’s so crazy,” said Riabov. “Ukraine is trying to survive, and now America adopts such a different position.”
Then, the representative of Musk Construction sales, Anthony Khrypchemko, told him that a customer had signed for a major bathroom renovation.
“We had the documents signed and everything, but they saw an online interview with Steve praising Musk about six, seven years ago, and because of that, they said” we are not going with you guys “,” said Khrypchemko.
The company’s overall sales have been well in the seven figures for two years, but now they are “a little slower,” said Khrypchemko.
Riabov said the company did not know how many potential activities it could lose due to its name. He asked his staff, who includes workers from Silicon Valley and in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Georgia and Portugal, if they rename it.
They said yes, without hesitation and voted unanimously to rename the company, Rise Construction.
“It has become really necessary to dissociate itself. Musk was our inspiration, whose ideas were so incredible, progressive and inspiring,” said Sofie Rokishchuk, Riabov assistant who works from Ukraine. “But all this has changed. It is crucial for us, as a Ukrainians, to present a strong and united front. To let everyone know, we do not stick to the ideology (of musks).”
Riabov said that the challenge remains convincing customers that his construction company, which now includes the construction of new houses, provides quality work.
“We only heard anyone telling ourselves that we should stay with the old name,” said Riabov. “It’s a plus for us.”