Mr. Musk seems like he's becoming increasingly erratic and controlling, and there's a record of him being unable to take criticism. This is a pretty intense form of criticism.
Tesla's progress in ramping up production for the Model 3 could charitably be described as "rocky," and there's been a steady drumbeat of news stories over the last couple of months saying Tesla's financials don't look great either.
Given all that, it seems fair to assume that Musk is under a lot of pressure at the moment; and stressed-out people make bad decisions.
Mr. Musk seems like he's becoming increasingly erratic and controlling, and there's a record of him being unable to take criticism. This is a pretty intense form of criticism.