Musk and 'Big Short' Burry Agree on What's Killing San Francisco

The Tesla CEO and the legendary investor believe that the progressive city, which has seen a corporate exodus since the pandemic, is a victim of its progressive values.

They are both among the most influential personalities on Twitter. 

One is the owner of the social media platform for which he paid $44 billion to take control -- Elon Musk, the billionaire serial entrepreneur CEO of Tesla  (TSLA) - Get Free Report.

The second is Michael Burry, known for betting on the subprime mortgage meltdown that sparked the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. His tweets are scrutinized by millions of retail investors seeking investment advice and strategic direction. 

Musk and Burry are also among the prominent personalities who denounce progressive ideas. These ideas ​​threaten the world and the values which, they believe, have contributed and contribute to the stability and influence of the West and of America in particular. 

The new enemy is the “woke mind virus”, a catch-all expression encompassing equality, more diversity, gender identity, ESG (environment, social and corporate governance) and others. These values ​​destabilize society, Musk and Burry have asserted in numerous tweets in recent months.

The 'Woke Mind Virus'

Musk has made his mission to defeat this enemy at all costs. Burry sees the "woke mind virus" as the new insider threat.

"My son is being taught in college that men in sport are only stronger/faster/hit harder/kick harder etc because of cultural reasons. That nature, biology and male hormones have nothing to do with it. This has got to stop somewhere,” Burry, who is the founder of hedge fund Scion Asset Management, lambasted on Twitter on Apr. 1. 

For Burry and Musk, San Francisco, which faces multiple ills, symbolizes the dangers of wokeism. It is no coincidence that both chose San Francisco to attack the progressives -- Musk lived in Silicon Valley before moving to Texas at the end of 2021 and Twitter is based in San Francisco. Burry lives in California -- the Californian city is considered a bastion of progressives.

It all started with tweets from journalist Ashlee Vance denouncing the degradation of the city and calling on the guilt of politicians who do nothing to turn things around.

"Had a 20-minute walk down Market Street with a friend who remarked, 'I've never seen anything like this,' as his head was on a swivel the entire time. I love SF. What the city has become is unconscionable," Vance wrote on Apr. 1.

He continued: 'Several pockets of 20 to 30 people all off their heads. A number of them with pants barely on. Zombies. The walking dead. Cops observing the proceedings from 100 feet away."

"This isn't tolerance. It's giving up. The city's leaders should not be able to sleep with their shame."

'Evil in Guise of Good'

Musk was among the first to comment. Twitter is based in the neighborhood described by Vance.

"You could literally film a Walking Dead episode unedited in downtown SF,“ the billionaire said, referring to the hit post-apocalyptic horror TV drama. "This is where San Francisco politics leads and Twitter was exporting this self-destructive mind virus to the world."

He then went after other tech companies, accusing them of spreading the progressive agenda across the world.

"With some exceptions, other tech companies are still doing so. Evil in guise of good," Musk blasted out.

Burry shares this opinion and immediately made it known by commenting on Musk's statements. The investor shared his last experience in San Francisco, by recounting a scene which suggests that law and order do not reign in the city.

"This was my experience in San Francisco recently. As soon as I parked, I saw thieves casing the car behind me, and moved on," Burry narrated. "The thieves were essentially the only people on the street for blocks. But Elon, Twitter is still banning conservatives for objecting to the mind virus."

In February, Mayor of San Francisco London Breed promised more resources for the police, tougher laws, cracking down on drugs and offering tax breaks to businesses to revitalize downtown SF. She also wants to build affordable housing for essential workers.

The city is facing several challenges and issues like a fentanyl crisis, homelessness and a corporate exodus which manifests itself in high commercial space vacancy rates. Since the pandemic, many tech workers still haven't returned to the office. Tech companies are drastically reducing their costs, which also means closing office space.

The city has nearly 8,000 homeless people out of a population of around 835,000, which works out to approximately 1%. This situation causes residents and businesses to complain about tent camps set up in the streets, dirtiness and vandalism.

Public exasperation led to the recall of three progressive members of the San Francisco Board of Education last year. The district attorney was also ousted.