London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 14, 2026

"Would've Been My Professor": Elon Musk Receives Letter From Stanford Lecturer

"Would've Been My Professor": Elon Musk Receives Letter From Stanford Lecturer

The letter, which dates back to 14 June, mentions a research work that Elon Musk might have worked on had he not dropped out of Stanford University.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently shared a picture of a letter he received from a Stanford lecturer, who could have been his professor if he hadn't put his graduation studies on "permanent deferment".

The letter, which dates back to 14 June, mentions a research work that Mr Musk might have worked on had he not dropped out of the university. "Nice letter from Bill Nix, who would've been my prof at Stanford if I hadn't put grad studies on (permanent) deferment," the SpaceX chief wrote in the caption.

Take a look below:


The introductory paragraph of the letter revealed that William D. Nix, professor of engineering at the department of Material Science and Engineering at Stanford University, was responding to Mr Musk's recent interview.

It read, "In a recent interview entitled: Elon Musk on the Early Days of Tesla: Interview Part 1, which was posted on YouTube, you mentioned meeting me at Stanford in 1995 as your prospective professor if you had enrolled in graduate program at Stanford".

In the letter, the professor also praised Mr Musk for his "description of the issues of using Si for anodes for lithium batteries". He said, "About 10 years ago we at Stanford did research on the very issues you described. Indeed, it almost seemed like you had read all our papers."

Since being shared, the post has garnered more than 137,000 likes. It has prompted people to share various comments. Mr Musk also replied to his own post and joked how the letter is showing his PO Box number and that he may have to change it. "Might need a new PO Box after tweeting this," he wrote in the following tweet.

"Imagine you continued your studies instead of developing companies. You might be a professor and there would be no Tesla, SpaceX, or even PayPal. What a weird timeline it would have been," wrote one user. "This is so cool," added another.

A third said, "It doesn't matter, you have achieved far more by taking your own road than that letter would have taken you. I respect your accomplishments. You have soared higher than the Eagles," while others simply pointed out the probably unintentional goof-up of disclosing the PO box number.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Middle East War Highlights Strategic Importance of Strong UK–Ireland Cooperation
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
×