Behind the Musk deal: the largest economic investment in Memphis history
“I knew we had to impress him and put our best foot forward in that moment,” said Greater Memphis Chamber CEO Ted Townsend as he sat down on a video conference with Elon Musk in March 2024. Townsend addresses the audience during The Greater Memphis Chamber's Mid-Year Chairman's Forum June 8, 2023. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)
On Sunday, March 10, Greater Memphis Chamber President and CEO Ted Townsend broke away from the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, to speak with the world’s wealthiest man about Memphis.
Townsend sat across from his computer in a hotel conference room, preparing his pitch about Memphis in his head, which he’d practiced a dozen or more times.
When the video conference started, Elon Musk was sitting in the top left box on the corner of his screen.
“The reality of that moment sets in, and you essentially have one shot,” Townsend said. “I knew we had to impress him and put our best foot forward in that moment.”
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Sophia Surrett
Sophia Surrett is a University of Alabama graduate, where she received her B.A. in news media and M.A. in journalism and media studies. She covers small business, nonprofits, restaurant real estate, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics.
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