When Elon Musk recently announced the launch of his new roadster for this year 2024, it is the first name that is making headlines again. You might remember these three copies that were found in a container in May 2023? If this is not the case, the story is quite unbelievable: it involves three brand new models ordered by the same Chinese buyer… in 2010!
If they were indeed shipped by an American firm at the time, for unknown reasons, once they arrived in China, the containers transporting them were abandoned. Until they opened last year, and they ran out of cars for sale. And now we know who bought them. Yes, all three together. And if that’s enough to talk about, it’s actually primarily the buyer’s revelation that gets people talking: it’s anti-Tesla. A billionaire who flaunts his credentials on screens all over the world!
War of the Billionaires
Does The Dawn Project mean anything to you? If not, maybe the anti-Tesla ad that aired during the 2024 Super Bowl a few weeks ago will speak to you more. It was during the world’s most watched event that a spot aired showing the dangers of Tesla’s autonomous driving. And in 2023, the first clip was already shown during the peak of American football.
In fact, The Dawn Project is a pressure group that advocates for the safe use of computers and new technologies. “We demand software that never fails and cannot be hacked,” says the website. It must be said that its founder, Dan O’Dowd, is a recognized world expert in this field. A billionaire, he made his fortune creating secure software and operating systems for projects like the Boeing 787 and B1-B.
(nuclear bomber), Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter plane and even NASA’s research vehicle. Among others! This is the same Dan O’Dowd, who financed the campaign to show the dangerousness of Tesla’s FSD software, who bought three new Tesla Roadsters!Purchase price… and repairs!
In a video posted on YouTube by Watts Inside Family, we both find the three roadsters in question, but who bought them. And that’s how we know the billionaire must have spent $800,000 to afford them. or the current equivalent of 737,800 Euros.
But then why spend so much on a car from a brand you hate so much? In fact, Dan O’Dowd would have nothing against Tesla. On the contrary, he seems to love the brand as he already owns two other first generation roadsters! It’s really the FSD software that he hates. Not Elon Musk’s car. And if one thing is certain, it’s that the convertible coupe will never have autonomous driving!
As can be seen in the video, three first-generation roadsters are currently in the hands of model specialist Carl Medlock & Sons. Because even though they are new in their normal condition, they have not benefited from being in a container for more than 10 years. Especially for batteries. And it can cost up to $100,000 (€92,240) to replace. For each car.