Elon Musk Engages Russia In A Battle Of Tweets: Says Putin Can 'Even Bring His Bear' To Single Combat Between The Two

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has followed up a challenge to fight Russian President Vladimir Putin in “single combat” by asking Russia’s space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin to choose his fighter between the two.

What Happened: Responding on Twitter to a post by Rogozin, Musk joked that the Roscosmos chief could have 10% more pay per view money for the combat since he was a “tough negotiator.” He added that Putin can even “bring his bear” for the combat.

He can even bring his bear

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2022

Rogozin had earlier replied to Musk’s challenge to Putin by quoting a verse from Alexander Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda” and calling Musk a “little devil.”

Ты, бесенок, еще молоденек,
Со мною тягаться слабенек;
Это было б лишь времени трата.
Обгони-ка сперва моего брата.

А. С. Пушкин "Сказка о Попе и работнике его Балде" https://t.co/KuR328iH20

— РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) March 14, 2022

See Also: Elon Musk Says Tesla, SpaceX Under 'Significant' Inflationary Pressure For Raw Materials, Logistics

Why It Matters: Musk had previously taken a swipe at Rogozin, who alleged that the billionaire entrepreneur took Ukraine's side amid the ongoing war after he ensured SpaceX’s Starlink services were available in the war-torn country.

Following Russia’s decision to stop supplying rocket engines to the United States in retaliation for the sanctions over the war in Ukraine, Musk had mocked Rogozin and Russia’s space agency by saying Starlink satellites would be launched on “American broomsticks.”

Price Action: Tesla shares closed 3.6% lower in Monday’s regular trading session at $766.37, but rose almost 1.8% in the after-hours session to $779.99.

Read Next: Apple Co-Founder's New Car Is An EV — And It Is Made By This Tesla Rival