Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties • Hacker News Board

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#21

Post by cma » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 5:21 AM UTC

mr_toad wrote: post #19

It’s not like Musk hasn’t openly stated that the whole purpose of SpaceX is Martian colonisation. What do they think The Boring Company is really for? And Tesla, and Solar City for that matter. Perhaps if they aren’t smart enough to connect the dots they aren’t smart enough to be investing in high risk private companies.

> Perhaps if they aren’t smart enough to connect the dots they aren’t smart enough to be investing in high risk private companies.

If they are investing one companies resources they expect equity or payment, regardless of if the tunnels are useful for Mars.

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#22

Post by gamblor956 » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 5:38 AM UTC

mr_toad wrote: post #19

It’s not like Musk hasn’t openly stated that the whole purpose of SpaceX is Martian colonisation. What do they think The Boring Company is really for? And Tesla, and Solar City for that matter. Perhaps if they aren’t smart enough to connect the dots they aren’t smart enough to be investing in high risk private companies.

What do they think The Boring Company is really for? And Tesla, and Solar City for that matter.

Uh huh. Sure it is. That would explain why Solar City has thus far failed to account for the significantly reduced amount of solar energy that reaches Mars. Solar cells can't charge EVs fast enough on Earth. With the same panel area, it would take most of a Martian year to charge a single EV on Mars.

But as with the hyperloop, Musk has done a great job of getting people to fall for his half-assed fantasies. Somehow though, whenever you actually try to look into his ideas with more scrutiny, they always fall apart like a house of cards.

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#23

Post by gamblor956 » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 5:41 AM UTC

jonathankoren wrote: post #13

Whoa. So he's diverting employees and equipment from investor backed SpaceX, to a side venture where he owns 90% of the equity? This is sketchy fiduciary duty. Right up there when he bailed out his brother's SolarCity by having Tesla buy it because every car manufacture needs to get into the rooftop solar business.

You're being voted down by the Tesla brigade, but you are absolutely right. Given the de minimis SpaceX equity in BoringCo, Musk's use of SpaceX resources without compensation by BoringCo is a flagrant violation of his fiduciary duties to SpaceX's investors.

That's why it's been so important to him to keep his boards stocked with friends and family--an actual corporate board of directors would have sent him to the curb long ago.

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#24

Post by gamblor956 » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 5:43 AM UTC

chr1 wrote: post #20

robertAngst wrote: post #12

I'm somewhat horrified by the constant struggles Musk's companies have with ethics. Why is there a cult following when fraud and employee abuse is common?

Because there have not been any serious reports of fraud and abuse, and the things he built are so important for the future of humanity, that even much more serious accusations won't change the total balance to a negative for Musk.

There have been dozens of articles detailing fraud and abuse at Tesla, quite a few articles about Boring Co's liberties with the truth and its outright lies to the people in the neighborhood where the tunnel is being built. SolarCity's financials were so bad they went through multiple auditing firms before they found one that would sign off on them.

All in all, Musk's companies have an above-average incidence of ethics- and truth-related issues.

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#25

Post by onetimemanytime » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 5:53 AM UTC

Wait until Boring Co is bought by another Musk company like Musk did last time with that failing solar company.

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#26

Post by SECProto » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 6:06 AM UTC

gamblor956 wrote: post #22

mr_toad wrote: post #19

It’s not like Musk hasn’t openly stated that the whole purpose of SpaceX is Martian colonisation. What do they think The Boring Company is really for? And Tesla, and Solar City for that matter. Perhaps if they aren’t smart enough to connect the dots they aren’t smart enough to be investing in high risk private companies.

What do they think The Boring Company is really for? And Tesla, and Solar City for that matter. Uh huh. Sure it is. That would explain why Solar City has thus far failed to account for the significantly reduced amount of solar energy that reaches Mars. Solar cells can't charge EVs fast enough on Earth . With the same panel area, it would take most of a Martian year to charge a single EV on Mars. But as with the hyper…

That would explain why Solar City has thus far failed to account for the significantly reduced amount of solar energy that reaches Mars. Solar cells can't charge EVs fast enough on Earth. With the same panel area, it would take most of a Martian year to charge a single EV on Mars.

What are you talking about? Solar can charge an electric car just fine. Take desired charge rate in kW, divide by nameplate power output of panel, and that's how many panels you need. If you live somewhere with constraints on solar input (eg reduction due to clouds, distance from sun, or night) then you can increase the panel amount, maybe add some stationary batteries to timeshift the input.

Edit: not meant as a personal attack at all, but noticed your other comments around the thread are loose enough with the facts. Musk could learn a thing or two :)

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#27

Post by SECProto » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 6:09 AM UTC

StudentStuff wrote: post #2

The Boring Company is on really shaky ground after the entrance cave in back on Dec 5th and construction setbacks. It'll be interesting to see if they survive, they're still in live or die startup mode.

The Boring Company is on really shaky ground after the entrance cave in back on Dec 5th and construction setbacks

I didn't hear of any cave in, and googling results in nothing. Care to explain what you're talking about?

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#28

Post by jonathankoren » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 6:22 AM UTC

chr1 wrote: post #20

robertAngst wrote: post #12

I'm somewhat horrified by the constant struggles Musk's companies have with ethics. Why is there a cult following when fraud and employee abuse is common?

Because there have not been any serious reports of fraud and abuse, and the things he built are so important for the future of humanity, that even much more serious accusations won't change the total balance to a negative for Musk.

I recently traveled to Florida and met with my cousin that has friends at SpaceX. The joke is to call it SlaveX. According to him, it pays quite a bit better than ULA, but there’s huge burnout and turnover.

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#29

Post by yellowapple » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 7:37 AM UTC

throwawaylalala wrote: post #18

I mean, its pretty clear he’s building all the tech to colonize Mars. Boring is an important part of that.

Indeed. Underground construction is the most effective way to protect against environmental concerns like meteor strikes and radiation.

Re: Elon Musk’s New Boring Co. Faced Questions Over SpaceX Financial Ties

#30

Post by jonathankoren » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 7:39 AM UTC

m3kw9 wrote: post #15

I really believe Tesla, Boring and SpaceX is part of a grand strategy that will give Musk almost insurmountable moat.

Serious question. Do you mean like a physical barrier? Similar to absconding to New Zealand when SHTF and it’s TEOTWAWKI? In a very real sense, Mars is the ultimate gated community.