Elon Musk regularly destroys all his smartphones, here is why


There are people who buy a Smartphone and keep it until it becomes too obsolete, those that buy a smartphone every year to keep up with the new innovations and, finally, there are people who buy smartphones and when they change them they destroy the previous ones. One of those people is really: Elon Musk.

Known for his projects and his futuristic and technological products. Musk deserves recognition also for the extravagance and this is the clear proof. The famous entrepreneur does not want to leave any trace of himself in the world. Especially given the recent scandals concerning privacy and social networks. Let’s find out in detail what his practice is.

Gizchina News of the week


Elon Musk regularly switches to a new phone and destroys his old phone for security reasons

Founder of Tesla and Space X, Musk wants to protect his personal data. By adopting this ethic of destroying the old smartphone, to prevent its data from falling into the wrong hands. A striking example? The information leakage from Jeff Bezos’s phone.

Elon Musk knows this well and in fact he has recently been the subject of several rumors, according to what is suggested, the entrepreneur changes his smartphone periodically and with short intervals.

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23 Comments

  1. manderson0610
    October 23, 2019

    You dont have to destroy an old phone to keep your info safe, all that is necessary is to do a factory reset.

    • Cyril Dieudonne
      October 25, 2019

      You are totally right, but smartass will advocate that it’s not enough. Because of course, their doggy videos, dick pics and burger selfies are so interesting that they are sure that CIA will hire 888 hackers to extract their precious data.

  2. mohammad yasin
    October 23, 2019

    Even though if do the factory rest, still the information available on the phone.

  3. jason taylor
    October 25, 2019

    Incorrect. Factory reset is just as good as hiding an object in your house really well only for it to be eventually found. When you destroy the contents of a phone using the factory reset option you are deleting it from normal view. However with motive and the right tools you can easily compile the data deleted and restore it for viewing again.

    • Developer Nycrera
      October 25, 2019

      IMO even if this rumour is true. The only reason for a rich person like him to destroy his phone is completely for the news and attention. Even if i think elon musk wouldn’t do such a thing and this is just a rumour. If i were a multi billionare person and also owned a tech company, I probably would engineer a better solution than just destroying stuff. Ok factory reset doesn’t work then engineer a phone that does a complete wipe and also encryption is a plus. Then sell this product to the people. I would call this an Elon Musk move.

    • mohammad yasin
      November 1, 2019

      I am talking in higher levels, there’s a way the hardware can still have your information.
      For example, Michigan state can get information from the handset even if the factory rest preformed on it.
      Go ahead and check that out.

  4. Nokiaphone
    October 25, 2019

    Great! Now let’s all destroy our smartphones monthly so we can drive the price up to $2k USD per phone. Elon might have the money to replace his phone, but the rest of us??? I get a new phone about every 5 years. On my third one since being weened off my corded phone in 2001….lol.

    • Cyril Dieudonne
      October 25, 2019

      That’s not the point. the article doesn’t say we should. Obviously he wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t rich. But obviously he wouldn’t need to do this if he wasn’t rich. If you aren’t rich, if you don’t have to care about industrial espionnage, then why do you complain? The point is not to destroy, not to behave as today’s law dictate you to, but being smart enough to not let shit on your phone. That’s very basic. I believe companies, hackers and governments would have time, ressources and will to conduct extensive hacking attempt on Musk phone for spying matter. But would you spend as much time to decrypt and steal Jon Doe’s dick pics? Factory reset, encryption and basic security principles are enough if your family name doesn’t start by MU and doesn’t finish by SK.

    • Jamc
      October 25, 2019

      The manufacturer already force us to replace the phone every couple of year when the battery dies off…
      Better buy an LG phone where you can swap the battery.

    • NTN Labs
      October 25, 2019

      Such demand would lower prices, not make them higher.

    • NTN Labs
      October 25, 2019

      Exactlly. Price of one destroyed phone is nothing compared to SpaceX operation security compromise.

  5. aariosvel
    October 25, 2019

    All you I have to do is to behave in accordance to law, and you won’t have to worry about any traces you might leave. I wonder what a
    Elon Musk is hiding.

    • S N
      October 25, 2019

      We all have plenty of information on our phones that would be a catastrophe should it be found in the wrong hands. Have you heard of identity fraud or corporate espionage?

    • F1jones
      October 25, 2019

      No, it’s not that simple. Think about the potential for corporate espionage. He might have information about older contacts that no longer need to be at risk on a mobile device. Emails containing attachments with IP, contracts, network connections with authentication. Etc, etc.

  6. Bearsoul Rogers
    October 25, 2019

    He’s hiding any and all new money making ideas and or inventions from any and everyone that isn’t at least apart of his inner circle. Also any and all of his more mundane personal info…

  7. Jamc
    October 25, 2019

    Same here… Factory reset is only for people without a sledgehammer or an axe.

  8. AtlasTheEndurer 1221
    October 25, 2019

    How does he destroy them i wonder? One person says sledgehammer or axe, sounds entertaining, but I’m sure fire & bleach is more appropriate.

    • Andreas Klein
      October 25, 2019

      sends them to space 🙂

    • AtlasTheEndurer 1221
      October 25, 2019

      Riiiight. Water wouldn’t do much damage I don’t suspect.

  9. Andreas Klein
    October 25, 2019

    Don’t everybody freak out. Most people are nobodies and their life interests nobody beside their close family. These people only concern should arise if they work in sensitive place or industries AND they use to bring home their digital work. For all the rest, even a third grade Internet security will do.
    My question is how can Musk delete the data the internet provider or mobile manufacturer gathered on him? Have some idea …..

  10. Donald William Gillies
    October 25, 2019

    This is a 2-bits-of-information transfer useless article! It was NEVER worth writing! At least find out how he destroys them for God’s sake . .

  11. Michael H
    October 25, 2019

    If you are going to switch phones regularly, you should get the trade in value. If you are keeping it until they have no value to anyone, who cares. I have my old phones in a tin box in a closet somewhere because I keep phones for a long time. Not to mention old smart phones still work as a wifi mini tablet

  12. Pouranan
    October 25, 2019

    Why are you people talking about factory reset? The post did not mention anything about factory reset. He destroys his fucking phone.