No beef with Elon Musk, says multi-billionaire Nikola founder

Hydrogen-truck maker Nikola is gaining a lot of attention – not just because of its recent $12 billion debut on the Nasdaq which put the company's founder Trevor Milton's net worth at more than $4 billion.

Milton's dramatic rise in just about six years since the founding of Nikola in 2014 has also drawn comparison to Tesla Founder Elon Musk.

While 38-year-old Milton's recent comments that he is one of the very few people in the world who can "out-Elon" got a lot of media attention, he had also made it clear that he bears no personal enmity with Musk.

In an interview to TheStreet, published on Friday, Milton did admit that he considers electric car maker Tesla as a competitor.

"And, uh, I have, I have no beef with, with Elon, I think he's a cool cat. I don't know him personally...," he was quoted as saying.

Nikola Corporation on June 3 announced the completion of its previously announced business combination with VectoIQ Acquisition Corp., a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company, and Nikola's listing on the Nasdaq.

On June 4, the combined company's shares started trading on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol "NKLA."

"Since Nikola launched its first fuel-cell semi-truck, you have seen the world rally behind hydrogen and follow our lead. What was once considered the fuel of the future is now accepted as today's solution," Milton had said in a statement.

"With our Nikola IVECO joint venture and over $10 billion in pre-order reservations, Nikola is positioned to be a wonderful story of how one company can literally change the world."