Elon Musk sparks retirement rumors as he admits he ‘doesn’t want to be CEO of anything’

ELON Musk has sparked rumors he could be considering retirement as he admitted he doesn't want to be "CEO of anything".

A mockup pic of the Tesla boss and billionaire, 50, standing next to an Apple logo was posted by a fan on Twitter on Friday, who wrote: “Elon could be a much better CEO for Apple.”

But replying to the pic, Musk wrote: "I don’t want to be CEO of anything.”

For the tech visionary - who also founded SpaceX and can move markets with a single tweet - the response has drawn suspicions he’s disinterested in continuing to run the most valuable car company in the world.

Musk has previously hinted at other misgivings about being in charge of Tesla. 

'HATE' BEING CEO

Earlier this month, Musk expressed he didn’t like being a CEO in a Delaware court.

"I rather hate it, and I would much prefer to spend my time on design and engineering, which is what intrinsically I like doing," he said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

He also claimed he "tried very hard not to be the CEO of Tesla," Reuters reported from the same hearing.

He added: "But I have to, or frankly Tesla is going to die.”

Musk took the witness stand on Monday to defend Tesla’s 2016 acquisition of a company called SolarCity, against a lawsuit by shareholders seeking to recoup the $2.6billion the company paid for the anemic solar panel maker.

When being pressed by the attorney representing the shareholders that Musk made mistakes in helping engineer the acquisition of SolarCity, he counterpunched. 

'BAD HUMAN'

“I think you are a bad human being,” Musk told Randall Baron - the company’s largest stakeholder and its chairman.

“I have great respect for the court,” Musk later added, “but not for you, sir.”

As for running Apple, Musk quickly tidied up any ideas he would replace current CEO Tim Cook. 

A forthcoming book profiling the Tesla CEO titled “Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk and the Bet of the Century" by Wall Street Journal reporter Tim Higgins. 

It contains a bizarre back-and-forth from 2016, when Tesla was on the financial ropes.  

Musk reportedly reached Apple’s Tim Cook on the phone trying to convince him to purchase the company, according to a review of the tome by the Los Angeles Times.

But Musk had one condition: He’d be CEO. 

Cook supposedly entertained this notion; after all there was precedent when Apple purchased Beats back in 2014 - the co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre kept their titles. 

But Musk wasn’t interested in staying on as the CEO of Tesla.

He wanted Cook’s chair. 

“I’m CEO,” Musk allegedly said, according to the book’s synopsis.

“F*** you,” Cook allegedly responded before hanging up the receiver. 

Musk denied this phone conversation or its vulgar ending took place. 

“Both Cook & I have been clear publicly that we have never spoken or otherwise communicated,” Musk tweeted.

“I tried to speak to him & he declined.

“Nor have I ever expressed any interest in running Apple to anyone.

“Cook is, all things considered, obviously doing an incredible job.”