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.”
Topics
Elon Musk xAI Greater Memphis Chamber Subscriber Only Ted TownsendAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
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 commercial real estate, economic development, residential real estate, restaurant real estate, and hospitality and tourism.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.