Why Tesla Can’t Keep Its Hands Off Apple Employees

Tesla revealed on Friday that it has poached more than 150 employees from Apple, siphoning more talent from the tech giant than any other company out there — auto makers included.

Elon Musk revealed the talent grab to Bloomberg News, arguing that Tesla shared a “design philosophy” with Apple that made the company’s Cupertino campus uniquely fertile grounds for headhunting.

The talent grab also hints at the increasingly critical role software will play in the future of the auto industry, from engine controls to touch screens to the Shangri-La of self-driving cars. Tesla’s Model S sedan, for instance, includes an “Autopilot Mode” that can scan the driver’s garage and automatically cruise the vehicle up the driveway and pull it into place.

[Bloomberg]