Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk said production was resuming Monday at the automaker's sole U.S. vehicle factory, in California, defying an order to stay closed and saying if anyone had to be arrested it should be him.

The move comes as states and cities around the United States experiment with ways to safely reopen their economies after the coronavirus outbreak shuttered businesses and forced tens of millions of Americans out of work.

Musk over the weekend threatened to leave California for Texas or Nevada over his factory's closure. His move has highlighted the competition for jobs and ignited a rush to woo the billionaire executive by states that have reopened their economies more quickly in response to encouragement from U.S. President Donald Trump.