Musk’s headaches: meet China’s corporate matrix challenging his business empire
From Tesla to SpaceX, Starlink and Neuralink, Chinese companies are giving – or trying to give – Elon Musk’s firms a run for their money
US entrepreneur Elon Musk has long been highly respected in China. His business ideas – from electric cars to rockets, humanoid robots and brain implants – have spawned Chinese followers, many of which now pose growing threats to Musk’s business empire.
These Chinese competitors tend to follow a similar strategy: capitalise on the large domestic market to grow their business while taking advantage of the country’s integrated supply chains and expertise in fast-response manufacturing to hone their competitive edge.
Here is a rundown of some of the most formidable rivals in Musk’s bread-and-butter sectors. These are the Chinese companies the world’s first trillionaire is likely to be keeping an eye on.