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I'm perplexed how Musk could act without thinking of the consequences? Now I fear that he will be banned from SpaceX as well, when you are convicted of fraud by

I'm perplexed how Musk could act without thinking of the consequences? Now I fear that he will be banned from SpaceX as well, when you are convicted of fraud by SEC, it will impact your duties at other companies. It takes decades to build a reputation but it can be destroyed overnight with a single tweet.

sho_hn 8y ago
I'm curious about the possible ramifications for SpaceX as well. That said, it is a private company.
- DennisP 8y ago
  Not only is it a private company, but "A Musk trust owns 54 percent of the outstanding stock of SpaceX, and has voting control of 78 percent of the outstanding shares....No other shareholder owns 10 percent or more." Short of a criminal conviction I think he'll be fine with SpaceX. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-spacex-shareholders/is-spacex-the-model-for-a-private-tesla-idUSKBN1KU29W https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-spacex-shareholders... Given that Musk has made his point with electric cars and major luxury brands are starting to push hard in that direction, it might not be terrible if Musk were to step down from Tesla, get some sleep, and focus on getting us to Mars.
  - SimbaOnSteroids 8y ago
    The battery and solar operations side of TSLA are critical to spaceX's mission to Mars. Can't have a martian colony without being able to harvest and store energy. Additionally the CV being done at Tesla could prove critical in automating prefabrication of living spaces and life support infrastructure. Can't be doing anything like that remote controlled with 8 min latency.
    - DennisP 8y ago
      Tesla is not the only provider of batteries and solar panels, and could sell them to SpaceX even if Musk isn't the CEO of Tesla. There is some technology sharing between the companies, but even that could continue. Lots of companies collaborate without sharing a CEO. (Incidentally, a Mars colony could also use NASA's new fission reactor designed for space missions. It's likely that NASA will be deeply involved in the effort anyway.)
    - vkou 8y ago
      > The battery and solar operations side of TSLA are critical to spaceX's mission to Mars. What stops them from buying off-the-shelf commodities? Why the NIH? Didn't they, to much nerd fanfare, famously make all of TSLA's patents public two years ago? What stops them from sourcing these components from someone else?
    - browsercoin 8y ago
      I'm going to have to correct you on the solar part, Solar City is a dud. I was listening to a podcast and it was said that Solar City's acquisition would be Tesla's undoing. I think that's Musk's biggest concern, not so much the $420 tweet but the fact that scrutiny directed at the Solar City acquisition that will land Musk in serious trouble. https://twitter.com/qtrresearch/status/1024254098068176896 https://twitter.com/qtrresearch/status/1024254098068176896 Allegedly, ex-Solar Cities are saying they were told to fake sales. Quoth the Raven podcast first brought it to attention but now that the SEC investigation is starting, it will be a matter of time before Musk is under the gun, this time with serious jail time, if the allegations hold true.
      - memmcgee 8y ago
        Not to mention the Solar City buyout was pretty explicitly a bailout. SC had already retained bankruptcy counsel.
    - api 8y ago
      Batteries and solar panels are pure commodities. Solar city had little in the way of new tech.
dxhdr 8y ago
> It takes decades to build a reputation but it can be destroyed overnight with a single tweet. To be more accurate it was a series of Tweets, each expanding the narrative and doubling down on the original statement: - "Shareholders could either to sell at 420 or hold shares & go private" - "My hope is all current investors remain with Tesla even if we’re private. Would create special purpose fund enabling anyone to stay with Tesla. Already do this with Fidelity’s SpaceX investment." - "Def no forced sales. Hope all shareholders remain. Will be way smoother & less disruptive as a private company. Ends negative propaganda from shorts." - "Investor support is confirmed. Only reason why this is not certain is that it’s contingent on a shareholder vote."
brisance 8y ago
Haven’t you been following the news at all? It’s called “rich white male privilege”. The person occupying the White House exemplifies it. Inauguration day was tough for many parents; lots of people didn’t know how to explain to their kids how such a person could get to the highest office in the land.
- memmcgee 8y ago
  Rich isn't even necessary part of it. Musk, as well as many other people in the news, exemplify white cis male privilege. If a female or non-white CEO did half the shit Musk has done, she'd be out. Look how Marissa Mayer was vilified online despite doing nothing really out of the ordinary.
  - usaphp 8y ago
    To be fair she failed at her task, while musk created couple of successful companies
tinkerteller 8y ago
The guy hasn't been sleeping and short sellers had essentially all but cornered him to the extent he would go bankrupt. I don't blame him too much except that he hasn't got his #2 with whom he can vent out, calm down and strategize. Gates had Ballmer, Page has Brin, Zuck has Sanders. Who does Musk has? Not acquiring #2 is his single biggest failure.
- alehul 8y ago
  He absolutely has one in Shotwell on the SpaceX side. Maybe that's part of the reason that Tesla is the company causing him all the issues.

sho_hn 8y ago

I'm curious about the possible ramifications for SpaceX as well. That said, it is a private company.

DennisP 8y ago
Not only is it a private company, but "A Musk trust owns 54 percent of the outstanding stock of SpaceX, and has voting control of 78 percent of the outstanding shares....No other shareholder owns 10 percent or more." Short of a criminal conviction I think he'll be fine with SpaceX. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-spacex-shareholders/is-spacex-the-model-for-a-private-tesla-idUSKBN1KU29W https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-spacex-shareholders... Given that Musk has made his point with electric cars and major luxury brands are starting to push hard in that direction, it might not be terrible if Musk were to step down from Tesla, get some sleep, and focus on getting us to Mars.
- SimbaOnSteroids 8y ago
  The battery and solar operations side of TSLA are critical to spaceX's mission to Mars. Can't have a martian colony without being able to harvest and store energy. Additionally the CV being done at Tesla could prove critical in automating prefabrication of living spaces and life support infrastructure. Can't be doing anything like that remote controlled with 8 min latency.
  - DennisP 8y ago
    Tesla is not the only provider of batteries and solar panels, and could sell them to SpaceX even if Musk isn't the CEO of Tesla. There is some technology sharing between the companies, but even that could continue. Lots of companies collaborate without sharing a CEO. (Incidentally, a Mars colony could also use NASA's new fission reactor designed for space missions. It's likely that NASA will be deeply involved in the effort anyway.)
  - vkou 8y ago
    > The battery and solar operations side of TSLA are critical to spaceX's mission to Mars. What stops them from buying off-the-shelf commodities? Why the NIH? Didn't they, to much nerd fanfare, famously make all of TSLA's patents public two years ago? What stops them from sourcing these components from someone else?
  - browsercoin 8y ago
    I'm going to have to correct you on the solar part, Solar City is a dud. I was listening to a podcast and it was said that Solar City's acquisition would be Tesla's undoing. I think that's Musk's biggest concern, not so much the $420 tweet but the fact that scrutiny directed at the Solar City acquisition that will land Musk in serious trouble. https://twitter.com/qtrresearch/status/1024254098068176896 https://twitter.com/qtrresearch/status/1024254098068176896 Allegedly, ex-Solar Cities are saying they were told to fake sales. Quoth the Raven podcast first brought it to attention but now that the SEC investigation is starting, it will be a matter of time before Musk is under the gun, this time with serious jail time, if the allegations hold true.
    - memmcgee 8y ago
      Not to mention the Solar City buyout was pretty explicitly a bailout. SC had already retained bankruptcy counsel.
  - api 8y ago
    Batteries and solar panels are pure commodities. Solar city had little in the way of new tech.

dxhdr 8y ago

> It takes decades to build a reputation but it can be destroyed overnight with a single tweet. To be more accurate it was a series of Tweets, each expanding the narrative and doubling down on the original statement: - "Shareholders could either to sell at 420 or hold shares & go private" - "My hope is all current investors remain with Tesla even if we’re private. Would create special purpose fund enabling anyone to stay with Tesla. Already do this with Fidelity’s SpaceX investment." - "Def no forced sales. Hope all shareholders remain. Will be way smoother & less disruptive as a private company. Ends negative propaganda from shorts." - "Investor support is confirmed. Only reason why this is not certain is that it’s contingent on a shareholder vote."

brisance 8y ago

Haven’t you been following the news at all? It’s called “rich white male privilege”. The person occupying the White House exemplifies it. Inauguration day was tough for many parents; lots of people didn’t know how to explain to their kids how such a person could get to the highest office in the land.

memmcgee 8y ago
Rich isn't even necessary part of it. Musk, as well as many other people in the news, exemplify white cis male privilege. If a female or non-white CEO did half the shit Musk has done, she'd be out. Look how Marissa Mayer was vilified online despite doing nothing really out of the ordinary.
- usaphp 8y ago
  To be fair she failed at her task, while musk created couple of successful companies

tinkerteller 8y ago

The guy hasn't been sleeping and short sellers had essentially all but cornered him to the extent he would go bankrupt. I don't blame him too much except that he hasn't got his #2 with whom he can vent out, calm down and strategize. Gates had Ballmer, Page has Brin, Zuck has Sanders. Who does Musk has? Not acquiring #2 is his single biggest failure.

alehul 8y ago
He absolutely has one in Shotwell on the SpaceX side. Maybe that's part of the reason that Tesla is the company causing him all the issues.