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Right, but is it necessary to launch a $200,000 car while average people struggle to accumulate much more wealth than that over their entire lifetimes? Seems d

Right, but is it necessary to launch a $200,000 car while average people struggle to accumulate much more wealth than that over their entire lifetimes? Seems distasteful. Then again, this is the United States.

tdb7893 9y ago
I don't get why it's distasteful that he launched his own car into space. It's his car and he can do whatever he wants with it. I get the stuff about wealth inequality but this is hardly the most egregious use of wealth
ehnto 9y ago
It was Elon's personal car, I suspect it could have been sold for more than that and I imagine it could have ended up in a museum eventually. He didn't just buy a 200,000 dollar unrelated car to wave his wealth around. I imagine if Elon weren't such a strong face to these companies, it wouldn't be causing such controversy. It is ultimately a marketing stunt by a company. SpaceX launched a Tesla, because companies have more money than people so they can do that. In the scheme of things this is not a big sum of money for most companies and people do regularly accumulate that much wealth, albeit wrapped in home equity.
- candiodari 9y ago
  So, given that people are against inequality, you fail to see why some billionaire's use of a $200000+ car as a useless paperweight is offensive ? It's a huuuuuuuge "I'm richer and can do whatever and you're not" sign, that is being shoved into everyone's face on TV worldwide. Or at least, that's what it is if you're not a rich geek that can afford a car like that. If you have a normal wage and such a paperweight is out of your reach even if you save every penny you earn until you die, then it's just offensive.
  - tdb7893 9y ago
    I don't get what makes this particular use of wealth any worse than any other way rich people spend money. He did it because he wanted to, not to rub it in people's faces at all.
    - candiodari 9y ago
      Well, of course it's much more in everyone's face than most wealth spending.
  - ehnto 9y ago
    Look at it this way. Elon donated his Tesla to SpaceX the company so that they could make history together. They even lended their test flight to the Ark foundation in order to send a datadisk out into the cosmos much like they did on the Voyager space craft, another incredible moment in human history. They included a plaque with the names of all the people who had worked to make it possible, then they made some cool pop culture references, and some extra marketing with the spacesuit. Also, it was an idea voted for by the internet. Elon was sitting backseat for the presentation, and let the whole team take the glory. This was a monumental moment in space travel, and something that will forward the human race ever slightly forward. That is more important than a silly sports car. Elon reinvested the money he makes each time into companies that will make the world a better place (EV, solar, space flight). Taking huge risks each time. He isn't building himself a skyscraper in Dubai, he isn't boasting about which new Ferrari he bought on instagram. If you want to see egregious and vain uses of wealth, see a single red carpet show, or a popular music video. Some of those people have single pieces of jewelry worth more than that car. The car was already made ages ago anyway. If you had an issue with Elon buying (note, partly funding and then building the company that built) a sports car, maybe you should have worried about it then. PS, I am not a rich geek and I could not afford a car like that. I am just a regular geek.
infogulch 9y ago
Just purely on the spectrum of marketing stunts, $200k wouldn't even be in the top 1000. And this is great marketing for both companies. I really don't understand the "waste of money" argument. Are we gonna start protesting billboards now?

tdb7893 9y ago

I don't get why it's distasteful that he launched his own car into space. It's his car and he can do whatever he wants with it. I get the stuff about wealth inequality but this is hardly the most egregious use of wealth

ehnto 9y ago

It was Elon's personal car, I suspect it could have been sold for more than that and I imagine it could have ended up in a museum eventually. He didn't just buy a 200,000 dollar unrelated car to wave his wealth around. I imagine if Elon weren't such a strong face to these companies, it wouldn't be causing such controversy. It is ultimately a marketing stunt by a company. SpaceX launched a Tesla, because companies have more money than people so they can do that. In the scheme of things this is not a big sum of money for most companies and people do regularly accumulate that much wealth, albeit wrapped in home equity.

candiodari 9y ago
So, given that people are against inequality, you fail to see why some billionaire's use of a $200000+ car as a useless paperweight is offensive ? It's a huuuuuuuge "I'm richer and can do whatever and you're not" sign, that is being shoved into everyone's face on TV worldwide. Or at least, that's what it is if you're not a rich geek that can afford a car like that. If you have a normal wage and such a paperweight is out of your reach even if you save every penny you earn until you die, then it's just offensive.
- tdb7893 9y ago
  I don't get what makes this particular use of wealth any worse than any other way rich people spend money. He did it because he wanted to, not to rub it in people's faces at all.
  - candiodari 9y ago
    Well, of course it's much more in everyone's face than most wealth spending.
- ehnto 9y ago
  Look at it this way. Elon donated his Tesla to SpaceX the company so that they could make history together. They even lended their test flight to the Ark foundation in order to send a datadisk out into the cosmos much like they did on the Voyager space craft, another incredible moment in human history. They included a plaque with the names of all the people who had worked to make it possible, then they made some cool pop culture references, and some extra marketing with the spacesuit. Also, it was an idea voted for by the internet. Elon was sitting backseat for the presentation, and let the whole team take the glory. This was a monumental moment in space travel, and something that will forward the human race ever slightly forward. That is more important than a silly sports car. Elon reinvested the money he makes each time into companies that will make the world a better place (EV, solar, space flight). Taking huge risks each time. He isn't building himself a skyscraper in Dubai, he isn't boasting about which new Ferrari he bought on instagram. If you want to see egregious and vain uses of wealth, see a single red carpet show, or a popular music video. Some of those people have single pieces of jewelry worth more than that car. The car was already made ages ago anyway. If you had an issue with Elon buying (note, partly funding and then building the company that built) a sports car, maybe you should have worried about it then. PS, I am not a rich geek and I could not afford a car like that. I am just a regular geek.

infogulch 9y ago

Just purely on the spectrum of marketing stunts, $200k wouldn't even be in the top 1000. And this is great marketing for both companies. I really don't understand the "waste of money" argument. Are we gonna start protesting billboards now?