- Celebrity jeweler Ben Baller said Tesla canceled his meeting with CEO Elon Musk after Baller posted on social media after being locked in his Model X SUV.
- Baller described the experience, which he documented on Instagram, and Tesla’s response in an April 4 Instagram post.
- According to Baller, Musk’s assistant requested that he contact her about future issues instead of posting on social media and said his meeting with Musk was canceled.
- The meeting came after Baller made a $37,000 ring with Tesla’s name and logo as a gift to Musk.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
Celebrity jeweler Ben Baller said Tesla canceled his meeting with CEO Elon Musk after Baller posted on social media after being locked in his Model X SUV.
Baller described the experience, which he documented on Instagram, and Tesla’s response in an April 4 Instagram post. He said he was locked in his Model X for 47 minutes after the vehicle went into low-power mode before exiting through the trunk.
Read more: Tesla fired dozens of salespeople after its disappointing Q1 delivery report
According to Baller, Musk’s assistant requested that he contact her about future issues instead of posting on social media and said his meeting with Musk was canceled. The meeting came after Baller made a $37,000 ring with Tesla’s name and logo as a gift to Musk. (Baller said he will hold an auction for the ring and donate the earnings to charity.)
Baller said he understood why their meeting was canceled, but added that the Model X incident raised significant safety concerns.
“I will never allow my kids to ever get into a Tesla again especially London since I can’t risk that even 1% chance of being stuck while he’s having an [asthma] attack and we wait for Tesla roadside assistance to not show up,” he wrote.
Baller said Tesla allowed him to cancel his Model X lease early without paying a fee.
“I’m not saying I’m against Elon or Tesla. I’m only saying it’s not the car for me or my family,” Baller said of the Model X.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Have you worked for Tesla? Do you have a story to share? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.
- Read more:
- The biggest question for Tesla is whether the company can make steady profits on its cars
- Morgan Stanley slashes its Tesla target for the 3rd time this year
- Fiat Chrysler will pay for Tesla cars to be included in its fleet in order to meet European emissions limits
- Tesla and Trump both thrive on chaos — but Elon Musk’s car company needs to chill out if it’s going to succeed
SEE ALSO: Tesla just updated its ‘Navigate on Autopilot’ feature — here’s what’s new
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: How the Koenigsegg Jesko is designed to break 300 mph
[ad_2]