Elon Musk smokes marijuana with Joe Rogan during live interview

Elon Musk. One of the most respected personalities of the scientific and entrepreneurial community.

The spot on one of the most popular podcasts in the US marks Musk’s first appearance in a public forum since he stunned the financial world last month with his short-lived effort to take Tesla private. “I don’t think people would like it that much”, he said in the interview.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be successful”, Musk said, though he noted it has already dug a mile-long tunnel under the streets of Los Angeles. Shares were trading at about $360 and the bonds yielding about 7% before Mr. Musk’s August 7 statement on Twitter that he had secured funding to take the company private at a price of $420 a share.

Like the electorate, there is a large pool of independents in the stock market, and at least some of them have to be won over. That gives the notes, which are senior unsecured and due in 2025, an effective yield of about 8.4%. The impetus? Reportedly the unrelenting pace of work and the level of public scrutiny at the company.

By leaving, Morton walked away from a $10m new-hire equity grant that would have vested over four years.

Musk smoked marijuana with comedian Joe Rogan at the end of a two-and-half-hour interview on the “The Joe Rogan Experience”, which featured a wide-ranging discussion on topics including artificial intelligence, the Tesla chief executive’s technological ambitions and personal hardship.

What’s your take on Elon Musk’s podcast appearance?

Tesla will stay public, Musk said on August 24, ending more than two weeks of speculation and calculation about how much a go-private deal would cost and who could be involved in it. He had been on the job for less than a month.

Toledano, who has been on leave of absence from the company, said she would not be returning to the company.

Then, Musk appears to take a hit as Rogan continues explaining that there’s tobacco and marijuana inside.

Prominent short-seller Andrew Left has sued Tesla and Musk, saying in his proposed class-action complaint on Thursday that Musk’s issuance of materially false and misleading information related to his abandoned plan harmed both short-sellers and those hoping the stock would rise.

Several Wall Street analysts renewed calls for the company to appoint another senior leader, either to replace Musk as chief executive or provide more support as the company strives to expand production and potentially raise more capital.