Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower • Hacker News Board

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#91

Post by _Microft » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:56 PM UTC

navigatesol wrote: post #53

hxegon wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.quora.com/Does-Elon-Musk-do-some-very-technical-... I'm too lazy to track down more right now. I don't know of anyone claiming (with evidence) that he doesn't. In his biography there's interviews with people inside and out of spacex/tesla talking about it that are pretty convincing.

That thread has a quote from an interview, and then a bunch of random people saying he does. I already know the mythology surrounding his engineering credentials. But I think perpetuating it does a real disservice to the real engineers doing work on these products. Do people really think that a bright, "well read" physics undergraduate can lead the practical engineering work on rockets and cars? I find it hard to bel…

Do people really think that a bright, "well read" physics undergraduate can lead the practical engineering work on rockets and cars?

Most people do not. Don't blame Musk for missing that memo. :P

(By the way: the book Mindset by Carol Dweck might be an eye-opener...)

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#92

Post by loceng » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:56 PM UTC

AndrewBissell wrote: post #18

SpicyLemonZest wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article certainly makes those claims. But Bloomberg doesn’t seem to have any evidence of those things, beyond Tripp’s raw assertion that his friends didn’t make the call and he didn’t do what the lawsuit says. With no corroboration, why should we believe him over Tesla at this point?

> Why should we believe him over Tesla at this point? "Funding secured." Also, your assertion that there is no corroboration is wrong, the new whistleblower Sean Gouthro is corroborating Tripp's claims. This behavior is also well in line with Elon Musk's established pattern of paranoid behavior in surveiling employees.

Funding in Elon's mind could have been secured - perhaps not to what SEC's requirements of what that meant however; if I had $100B to invest in taking Tesla private, I'd certainly give it to Musk - Saudi Arabia is throwing around huge amounts as well, which I believe was his believed source of funding.

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#93

Post by zmarty » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:56 PM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #86

zmarty wrote: post #49

Bloomberg conveniently left out the reason why "Tripp has since changed lawyers". It's because he published on Twitter a trove of confidential internal Tesla documents. Once he did that his lawyer knew they had no case anymore. Tripp only deleted the documents after his lawyer was able to get in touch with him. This showed that he did in fact access internal Tesla systems and he did in fact exfiltrate this informatio…

> Bloomberg conveniently left out the reason why "Tripp has since changed lawyers". It's because he published on Twitter a trove of confidential internal Tesla documents. Once he did that his lawyer knew they had no case anymore. Tripp only deleted the documents after his lawyer was able to get in touch with him. This showed that he did in fact access internal Tesla systems and he did in fact exfiltrate this informat…

A "whistleblower" that first leaked all information to reporters, and then only claimed he was a whistleblower once Tesla figured out who it was. A "whistleblower" that a few months later publishes all of these internal documents ON TWITTER.

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#94

Post by ericb » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:57 PM UTC

AndrewBissell wrote: post #84

zmarty wrote: post #49

Bloomberg conveniently left out the reason why "Tripp has since changed lawyers". It's because he published on Twitter a trove of confidential internal Tesla documents. Once he did that his lawyer knew they had no case anymore. Tripp only deleted the documents after his lawyer was able to get in touch with him. This showed that he did in fact access internal Tesla systems and he did in fact exfiltrate this informatio…

Very deceptive to call what Tripp posted to Twitter "a trove of confidential internal documents." There were: - Photos of trailers parked outside the Gigafactory full of potentially hazardous battery waste. - Photos of shoddy workplaces within the Gigafactory and precision work being done with crude implements like Dremel tools. - VIN numbers of cars which Tripp believed had been fitted with batteries with possibly p…

> crude implements like Dremel tools

Woa, woa, woa! You're hurting your credibility with this one!

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#95

Post by AndrewBissell » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:57 PM UTC

memling wrote: post #57

drugme wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With no corroboration, why should we believe him over Tesla at this point? Occam's Razor (and Tesla/Musks's record of erratic and vindictive behavior in other contexts) should provide ample basis for making that call.

> Occam's Razor This seems like an objectively bad idea to me. I'm not a Tesla or Musk fan, and it seems plausible he could try to destroy a whistleblower. Even so, "innocent until proven guilty" is the better standard. Occam's Razor is greatly influenced by our priors.

We're not on a jury deciding whether to convict Elon Musk of a crime. We're trying to determine what likely happened and who is likely telling the truth, and possibly what implications that should have for our judgment of Elon Musk's character or broader questions around Tesla as a company.

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#96

Post by loceng » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:58 PM UTC

OldFatCactus wrote: post #2

Hopefully Musk faces charges for this

Has there been any evidence of wrongdoing, and not just claims being made?

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#97

Post by AndrewBissell » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:58 PM UTC

dagoat wrote: post #90

"You have what’s coming to you for the lies you have told to the public and investors" For a hit piece on Musk, I don't think that's the most flattering quote for the victim in this story.

Tripp's courage is actually quite remarkable and admirable, as represented by that quote in particular.

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#98

Post by kadendogthing » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 4:59 PM UTC

These articles need to be written in the manner they usually are because of the juxtaposition of who Musk presents himself as and who he actually is.

Musk in practice isn't a scientist or engineer. He has never built anything in a professional setting. He has discovered nothing. He belongs to the business class. In our society we give the business class a lot of privilege, power, and general leeway. Most of it quite frankly undeserved.

It shouldn't be a surprise that yet again, without reasonable channels about who is "successful" and why, we end up with a class of people filled with lackluster individuals. Musk being the current shining example; a person who apparently isn't smart enough to stop himself from acting foolish or unethical in any setting.

He's played games with the companies finances, engaged in deplorable behavior, and is just a generally unsavory person.

SpaceX and Tesla do not need Musk. They never have. No company or society needs people like Musk. Do not let the cult of personality and his myths lend any amount of credence to his efficacy as a CEO or how impactful he actually is as a person.

Kick him out and let him fade away.

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#99

Post by Spooky23 » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 5:01 PM UTC

i_call_solo wrote: post #12

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that neither Tesla nor SpaceX will disappear if Elon Musk goes to jail. In fact, the argument could be made both companies would perform more reliably without him.

Musk is heavily involved in the engineering efforts at Tesla and SpaceX. Losing him would not be a good thing for these companies despite his public antics.

No individual is essential.

If Musk slipped in the shower and cracked his head, life (for the companies) would go on.

Re: Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

#100

Post by AndrewBissell » Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 5:02 PM UTC

fabianluque wrote: post #73

DiabloD3 wrote: post #43

What I don't understand is why Bloomberg is not required to publish that they have any financial interest in Tesla. Bloomberg seems to only publish negative news about Tesla, and clearly has a bias, as if they hold or represent someone that holds a large short position. The story published by Bloomberg does not actually cite any sources, only what is already publicly known and what Tripp has personally claimed; and s…

The timing of the publication though. One day before Model Y announcement.

Perhaps the hope, on the part of whichever government officials I assume have been asking the media and lawyers involved to hold back this information, is that a story deeply embarrassing to Musk will discourage more dupes from putting down Model Y deposits and becoming unsecured Tesla creditors. Elon Musk ran the company to the verge of bankruptcy on customer deposits once before already.