Gary Zhou 
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that tracking his travel plans has become “a security issue” after rumors that he would fly to Germany to visit Gigafactory Berlin this past weekend surfaced. The rumors were untrue.
After some reports that Musk would travel to Germany to visit Tesla’s first European production facility on Sunday had surfaced, Musk has stated that the stories of his potential flights have become an issue for his safety without going into much detail.
As Gigafactory Berlin is nearing production approval based on reports that Tesla has submitted paperwork to the local Environmental Ministry, some may have expected Musk to travel to Germany as he would likely be present during the factory’s first day of operation. However, Sawyer Merritt, a Tesla insider, reported the potential travel plans but then deleted them quickly after posting. Merritt stated late on Monday that he would no longer report potential travel plans, and Musk responded that it would likely be best.
Several other mediums have been used in the past to track Musk’s travels. There are plane trackers and Twitter accounts that report nearly any movement from Musk’s personal jet, a Gulfstream G650ER worth between $60 and $70 million. However, it may be best to ditch these trackers as well, as it puts Musk and his family at risk.
While the CEO certainly has plenty of fans, there are enemies as well. Unfortunately, while many of us are interested in what Tesla’s CEO does on a daily basis, things like travel plans are becoming a security risk.
Musk clarified that he would visit the German factory in mid-February but did not shed any additional details on exact dates, which is best. Gigafactory Berlin was set to begin production in late 2021, but the German approval process, which Musk has criticized in the past, seems to be keeping the factory from beginning initial production.
