Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire founder of electric car company Tesla and tunnelling company Boring, has sold more than $3m worth of flamethrowers, just hours after announcing their existence.
The maverick businessman, who last week secured a pay deal that could see him collect $55bn, had pledged that if The Boring Company sold 50,000 baseball caps at $20 each he would start selling flamethrowers.
The caps sold out, and Musk started selling $500 flamethrowers on Sunday, tweeting: “Guaranteed to liven up any party!”
In a video post on Instagram, Musk said “don’t do this” and then proceeded to run towards the camera with the flamethrower alight. “Also, I want to be clear that a flamethrower is a super terrible idea. Definitely don’t buy one. Unless you like fun.”
The entrepreneur, who is also the CEO of car manufacturing firm Tesla and aerospace firm SpaceX, said Monday that The Boring Company had sold 7,000 flamethrowers. That means The Boring Company has sold at least $3.5 million worth of its new product.
It was created after Musk joked in December that he would start selling flamethrowers if his tunnel construction firm – playfully named The Boring Company– managed to sell 50,000 branded hats.
“After 50k hats, we will start selling The Boring Company flamethrower,” he tweeted at the time. “I know it’s a little off-brand, but kids love it.”
The flamethrowers went on sale on Sunday, and Musk has been announcing sales figures on Twitter.
He has also lightheartedly described the handset as being “great for roasting nuts” and “guaranteed to liven up any party”.
“The rumor that I’m secretly creating a zombie apocalypse to generate demand for flamethrowers is completely false,” he tweeted.
“You’d need millions of zombies for a so-called ‘apocalypse’ anyway. Where would I even get a factory big enough to make so many!?”
Musk also joked that the flamethrower was “sentient,” its safe word is “cryptocurrency,” and it “comes with a free blockchain.”
> Shiuly Akter
