Chapter 86: Blue Checks: Twitter, November 2–10, 2022

This chapter traces Elon Musk's involvement with SolarCity, from suggesting his cousins Lyndon and Peter Rive start the company in 2004 through Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity in 2016 and the contentious development of the solar roof product. It showcases Musk's vision of integrated energy systems and his perfectionism regarding product design, which created significant friction with his cousins.

In summer 2004, Musk suggested his cousin Lyndon Rive start a solar company while driving to Burning Man. Lyndon and his brother Peter founded SolarCity in 2006 with $10 million from Musk, designing a simplified consumer experience using satellite imagery and direct sales. By 2015, SolarCity controlled a quarter of non-utility solar installations but struggled with debt and a commission-based sales model. Frustrated by what he saw as overly aggressive sales tactics and poor product aesthetics, Musk pressured his cousins, threatening to resign as chairman. In February 2016, he proposed that Tesla acquire SolarCity to integrate it with Tesla's Powerwall battery, creating an end-to-end energy solution. Despite initial hesitation from Tesla's board—concerns about a family bailout—the deal was approved and announced in June 2016 at a 25 percent premium. Shareholders voted 85 percent in favor, though some sued; a 2022 Delaware court ruled in Musk's favor. During development of a new solar roof product (tiles rather than panels mounted on existing roofs), Musk became enraged at a standing-seam metal roof prototype in August 2016, declaring it "shit" and ordering the team to pivot to tiles. He orchestrated the removal of the metal version before the October public unveiling at Universal Studios, where he presented the integrated solar-roof, Powerwall, and Tesla-vehicle ecosystem as a solution to climate change. Within a year, both Peter and Lyndon Rive had left the company.