"When the zombie apocalypse happens, you'll be glad you bought a flamethrower. Works against hordes of the undead or your money back!" Musk joked in January, when customers were still able to order them online.
At US$500 each, the flamethrowers brought in US$10 million.
The fire-breathing device comes packaged with a rhyming set of terms and conditions that nods to the classic Dr. Seuss book "Green Eggs and Ham." "I will not use this in a house. I will not point this at my spouse. I will not use this in an unsafe way. The best use is creme brulee . . ."
Musk said the device was renamed Not-a-Flamethrower, "due to recent regulatory/customs rules enacted to inhibit transport of anything called a Flamethrower."
Some customers are already trying to turn a profit on the device. On eBay, interested buyers can bid on several listings for the Boring Co.'s "Not a Flamethrower." (Late Monday morning, the cheapest one was priced at US$2,250.)
A listing for just the instruction manual was asking for US$250.
The most eager customers can forgo the bidding process and pay the eBay "buy it now price," which is as high as US$20,000.
For reasons that may seem obvious, especially if you have seen pictures of exuberant customers wielding their flamethrower, Musk has been criticised for hawking a device that poses a safety risk. The Boring Co. is based in Southern California, a region ravaged by wildfires. And some see Musk's latest ploy as particularly reckless and insensitive.
One customer tweeted a picture of himself posing joyfully in front of the company's logo, clutching a flamethrower that had just belched a fireball. "I bought something completely awesome and frivolous, so I'm going to also donate US$1000 to the California Wildfire Relief Fund," he said on Twitter.
Musk replied to him: "We don't think our product will be the cause of any wildfires, but The Boring Company is donating US$10k."
