3 ms·

So he did it to win Republican favour for a weapons program, by squandering everybody else's favour? That doesn't sound like a winning strategy.

by mcv 4y ago

hef19898 4y ago
He also spent 44 billion on it, which he had, instead of using said 44 billion to lobby politicians of both parties and invest directly into whatever he wanted to do with the weapons program money. Sounds like a really solid strategy to me.
- brookst 4y ago
  Lobbying is surprisingly cheap. The entire pharma industry spends $5B/year, while the entire fossil fuel industry spends $2B/year[0]. Both have achieved a large degree of control over government decisions affecting them. Elon could have had his weapons program for $1B. He could have dominated defense spending for a decade for $25B. I don’t think the ROI of this $44B of very indirect investment will compare. [0] https://www.investopedia.com/investing/which-industry-spends-most-lobbying-antm-so/ https://www.investopedia.com/investing/which-industry-spends...
  - kidme5 4y ago
    Keep in mind he actually spent around half that. There were significant loans and other investments contributing. He needs more than lobbying, he needs to sway an election. But there were obviously other reasons as well, he probably thinks a hive mind is cool to own and he could finally build his everything app X, etc.. it's just the orbital weapons program is near the top of that list as he thinks it's necessary to save humanity from itself. From free-wheeling philosophy discussions, he seems to think this SkyNet system is actually a kind of Roko's Basilisk.
    - mcv 4y ago
      Who loaned him that money, and did they know this is how he'd treat that loan?
      - brookst 4y ago
        It was $13B in loans from a variety of banks. Lenders makes yes/no decision on loans, they do not retain management interest the way equity investors do.

3 ms·

So he did it to win Republican favour for a weapons program, by squandering everybody else's favour? That doesn't sound like a winning strategy.

by mcv 4y ago

So he did it to win Republican favour for a weapons program, by squandering everybody else's favour? That doesn't sound like a winning strategy.

hef19898 4y ago
He also spent 44 billion on it, which he had, instead of using said 44 billion to lobby politicians of both parties and invest directly into whatever he wanted to do with the weapons program money. Sounds like a really solid strategy to me.
- brookst 4y ago
  Lobbying is surprisingly cheap. The entire pharma industry spends $5B/year, while the entire fossil fuel industry spends $2B/year[0]. Both have achieved a large degree of control over government decisions affecting them. Elon could have had his weapons program for $1B. He could have dominated defense spending for a decade for $25B. I don’t think the ROI of this $44B of very indirect investment will compare. [0] https://www.investopedia.com/investing/which-industry-spends-most-lobbying-antm-so/ https://www.investopedia.com/investing/which-industry-spends...
  - kidme5 4y ago
    Keep in mind he actually spent around half that. There were significant loans and other investments contributing. He needs more than lobbying, he needs to sway an election. But there were obviously other reasons as well, he probably thinks a hive mind is cool to own and he could finally build his everything app X, etc.. it's just the orbital weapons program is near the top of that list as he thinks it's necessary to save humanity from itself. From free-wheeling philosophy discussions, he seems to think this SkyNet system is actually a kind of Roko's Basilisk.
    - mcv 4y ago
      Who loaned him that money, and did they know this is how he'd treat that loan?
      - brookst 4y ago
        It was $13B in loans from a variety of banks. Lenders makes yes/no decision on loans, they do not retain management interest the way equity investors do.