Elon Musk’s flamethrowers sold out, will come with free gift – CNET

 
Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives.


A flaming success.

Screenshot by Mike Sorrentino/CNET

It’s the gadget no one wants to be seen without.

Especially in our perilous times.

Ever since it was launched last Saturday, Elon Musk’s Boring Company flamethrower has become the talk of, well, the world.

Could it be real? Could it be dangerous? Could it be that the Tesla CEO is having a little too much amusement these day?

Retailing at $500, sales soon picked up. 

By Tuesday morning, it had made $7.5 million in sales

On Wednesday night, Musk, who had insisted this was the ideal weapon for a Zombie Apocalypse, made a momentous announcement on Twitter.

Yes, they’re all gone. While you were sitting on the fence, wondering if your neighbors would question your sanity if you bought one, all 20,000 of them were sold.

This despite the fact that a California politician wants them banned. Or perhaps his declaration actually helped give the flamethrowers an even greater allure.

Musk, though, has added a little extra for those who have faithfully placed their dollars over his flame. 

Yes, you get your own fire extinguisher gratis. 

Isn’t that generous? It’s so rare for a product to offer you a remedy even before you’ve begun to misuse it.

Of course, some have wondered whether this is really a flamethrower at all. 

Musk insists that it doesn’t shoot flames more than 10 feet, so it’s within regulations.

Some might choose to think of it more as a very alluring blowtorch. 

Indeed, as a Boring Company spokesman told my CNET colleague Amanda Kooser: “The Boring Company flamethrower is safer than what you can buy right now off-the-shelf on Amazon to destroy weeds. Much like a rollercoaster, this is designed to be thrilling without danger. Dangerous flamethrowers are already regulated and require a permit to own in California.”

Musk himself demonstrated the thrill.

This is clearly another major sales achievement for Musk.

I just worry that people are going to start taking these things to parties.

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