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existing, proven technologies he could get behind with his billions Whether hyperloop is feasible, he's pretty clearly gunning for future, unproven technologie

by st26 8y ago

existing, proven technologies he could get behind with his billions Whether hyperloop is feasible, he's pretty clearly gunning for future, unproven technologies, and very much on purpose. There's nothing wrong with wanting to spend your billions on trying to find new technologies.

DmenshunlAnlsis 8y ago
He making his money on cars with lithium batteries, and chemical rockets. That’s where he’s spending and making his billions. He’s dropping 3.8% of his recent $2.6 billion award on this project.
- ericd 8y ago
  It's not like he was already paid that, he only gets paid that if the company hits incredibly aggressive milestones that would render that amount a rounding error.
- pavs 8y ago
  Wow. You are either willfully ignorant at best or deliverately spreading false info at worst. Musk's Tesla package is performance based. He only get 'paid' by stock if he meets some ridiculously hard performance benchmark (ie, literally have to make Tesla the the most valuable company in the world). Not only that we won't get stock options if he doesnt meet those goals, he can't sell stock for a long period of time to make sure the stock valuation is not a temp spike. Also he doesnt get paid a single penny even if tesla stock performs somewhat better or even stays the same.
  - afterburner 8y ago
    You kinda missed the main point. Musk's business is focused entirely on improving existing, proven, old technologies.
    - kd5bjo 8y ago
      Like digging tunnels under populated areas to make new rights-of-way?
    - simonh 8y ago
      That's a very narrow, opinionated restriction of the term technology, but accepting it for the sake of argument, isn't that what Engineers do?
      - afterburner 8y ago
        Engineers do all kinds of things, including wild leaps in technology. However, what he's actually done is make slightly better rockets and slightly better electric cars. He's not working on hyperloop, he's working on the more certain stuff.
    - throwaway84742 8y ago
      Not entirely. He has delivered a number of “firsts”, such as rockets that land upright, and is about to deliver more: the satellite internet business will operate a constellation of satellites that is vastly larger than all satellites currently in orbit. This means they can only be automatically controlled. Frankly, even just delivering one innovation of this magnitude is impressive, being able to do it again and again deserves respect and admiration.
      - rohit2412 8y ago
        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X Wait satellite internet business is new? What have you been smoking? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access
        throwaway84742 8y ago
        Satellite internet is not new. Flying and controlling thousands of satellites most definitely is new, however.

by st26 8y ago

DmenshunlAnlsis 8y ago

He making his money on cars with lithium batteries, and chemical rockets. That’s where he’s spending and making his billions. He’s dropping 3.8% of his recent $2.6 billion award on this project.

ericd 8y ago
It's not like he was already paid that, he only gets paid that if the company hits incredibly aggressive milestones that would render that amount a rounding error.
pavs 8y ago
Wow. You are either willfully ignorant at best or deliverately spreading false info at worst. Musk's Tesla package is performance based. He only get 'paid' by stock if he meets some ridiculously hard performance benchmark (ie, literally have to make Tesla the the most valuable company in the world). Not only that we won't get stock options if he doesnt meet those goals, he can't sell stock for a long period of time to make sure the stock valuation is not a temp spike. Also he doesnt get paid a single penny even if tesla stock performs somewhat better or even stays the same.
- afterburner 8y ago
  You kinda missed the main point. Musk's business is focused entirely on improving existing, proven, old technologies.
  - kd5bjo 8y ago
    Like digging tunnels under populated areas to make new rights-of-way?
  - simonh 8y ago
    That's a very narrow, opinionated restriction of the term technology, but accepting it for the sake of argument, isn't that what Engineers do?
    - afterburner 8y ago
      Engineers do all kinds of things, including wild leaps in technology. However, what he's actually done is make slightly better rockets and slightly better electric cars. He's not working on hyperloop, he's working on the more certain stuff.
  - throwaway84742 8y ago
    Not entirely. He has delivered a number of “firsts”, such as rockets that land upright, and is about to deliver more: the satellite internet business will operate a constellation of satellites that is vastly larger than all satellites currently in orbit. This means they can only be automatically controlled. Frankly, even just delivering one innovation of this magnitude is impressive, being able to do it again and again deserves respect and admiration.
    - rohit2412 8y ago
      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X Wait satellite internet business is new? What have you been smoking? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access
      - throwaway84742 8y ago
        Satellite internet is not new. Flying and controlling thousands of satellites most definitely is new, however.