Tesla CEO Elon Musk denies reports that Tesla is getting $400 million for armored Cybertruck vehicles.
Musk shut down reports that the U.S. State Department awarded Tesla a $400 million contract for armored electric vehicles.
In a post on X, the billionaire said he had no knowledge of such a contract. “No one mentioned it to me, at least,” he wrote, following a public backlash.
Tesla does not currently make armored vehicles.
A reference to “armored Teslas” has been removed from the State Department’s procurement forecast. The original document was created during former President Joe Biden’s term in office.
That original document – drawn up by the Biden administration – noted a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars for armored Teslas over five years starting in 2025.
However, the document was updated to remove the reference to Teslas.
The document was first mentioned by MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in a five-minute segment on Wednesday.
Maddow mocked the Cybertruck as a “paperweight” and mocked the idea as a conflict of interest.
Musk is currently tasked with heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to find and eliminate wasteful government spending.
