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Elon Musk disclosed a missed opportunity, said he hates firing people, and revealed a desire to meet Warren Buffett in a 2008 profile that's resurfaced

Elon Musk disclosed a missed opportunity, said he hates firing people, and revealed a desire to meet Warren Buffett in a 2008 profile that's resurfaced
  • Elon Musk bemoaned a missed opportunity and said he wanted to meet Warren Buffett in a 2008 profile.

  • The Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter CEO said he hated firing people and struggled to move to Los Angeles.

  • Musk also underscored his deep passion for his work and showcased his sense of humor.

Elon Musk revealed his biggest missed opportunity, voiced his desire to meet two legendary investors, and foreshadowed some of his recent moves in a San Francisco Business Times profile in 2008, which the newspaper republished this week.

The Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter CEO could have invested in SunPower at a $15 million valuation but didn't do so, he said.

The solar-energy company's valuation has since grown by more than 120-fold to a $1.9 billion market capitalization. However, its stock price has basically flatlined over the past 15 years, meaning Musk hasn't missed out on much since his interview.

The electric-vehicle and space-transportation pioneer also disclosed the people he was most interested in meeting at the time: Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO and his business partner recently praised Musk for dreaming big and tackling impossible challenges, and Musk thanked them for their kind words.