A group of people who purchased Elon Musk's flamethrowers for $500 a pop finally got their hands on the product over the weekend.
Elon Musk Delivers First 1,000 Flamethrowers
In January, Musk announced that his Boring Co. would be selling 20,000 flamethrowers for $500 each and promised to ship them in the summer. The products sold out within a matter of days and raised about $10 million in revenue for Musk's underground tunnel project.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO finally lived up to his promise and delivered the first 1,000 flamethrowers to customers at a "pick-up party" arranged at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
Musk took to Twitter to announce that the first 1,000 flamethrowers had been picked up. He also urged users to "avoid unintentionally burning things down."
First 1000 Boring Company Flamethrowers being picked up today! pic.twitter.com/hBMp5fGzAB — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
Terms & conditions for “Not-a-Flamethrower” Please use as directed to avoid unintentionally burning things down. For simple & concise instructions, we drew upon wisdom in great Dr Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham”. #ThrowFlamesResponsibly pic.twitter.com/kgj8W8EOLJ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
The product, branded as "Not A Flamethrower" to avoid problems from customs officials, is a device that shoots flames up to four feet from the nozzle of what looks like an rifle equipped with a small propane tank.
"I love fire," The Guardian quoted one of the customers as saying. "I play with torches and gasoline all the time so this is the ultimate toy that I'll play with for all my life."
Flamethrowers Being Resold On eBay
It didn't take long for the flamethrowers to show up on eBay at prices that ran into thousands. A few people had the flamethrowers put up for sale on the website, offering the devices for prices ranging from just under $3,000 to one particular listing with a "Buy It Now" option for a whopping $20,000.
The instruction manual that accompanies the flamethrower is also being sold for $250. While some plan to sell the flamethrowers online for a premium, most intended to keep the fire-spitting devices.
California-based William Brice said he would use his flamethrower to claim a tax deduction, as he can use it to seal adhesive in his car-wrapping business. Meanwhile, 45-year-old environmental scientist Dennis Dohrman said he would use his flamethrower to light tiki torches and for "household protection."
