NTB Scanpix/Heiko Junge/via REUTERS
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk launched The Boring Company after being stuck in Los Angeles traffic in December.
Elon Musk made a surprise announcement Thursday saying that his latest venture, The Boring Company, has received "verbal governmental approval" to build a Hyperloop between New York and Washington DC with stops in Philadelphia and Baltimore.Some city representatives, however, say no such talks have occurred.
"Nobody in City Hall, or any of our city agencies, has heard from Mr. Musk or any representatives of his company," Ben Sarle, deputy press secretary for the New York's mayor office, told Business Insider.
"Elon Musk has had no contact with Philadelphia officials on this matter," Mike Dunn, deputy communications director for the city of Philadelphia, told Business Insider. "We do not what he means when he says he received 'verbal government approval.' There are numerous hurdles for this unproven 'hyperloop' technology before it can become reality."
That leaves us with the million dollar question: Who gave Musk the green light?
Representatives for Musk and The Boring Company did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment. Musk did not respond to a request for clarification on Twitter.
Either way, Musk's Boring Company will need more than a nod to build the high-speed transit system between two major cities. The Boring Company will need to secure city and state permits for such a project to commence.
Just received verbal govt approval for The Boring Company to build an underground NY-Phil-Balt-DC Hyperloop. NY-DC in 29 mins.
- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2017