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Elon’s Out

bloomberg.com

221–230 of 767 posts

Re: Elon’s Out

#221
> Would he line up billions of dollars of financing and sign a binding merger agreement with a specific-performance clause and a $1 billion breakup fee as a joke? I mean! Nobody else would! But he might!

What a silly thing to say. Of course he would; I'd also risk $20 (~1/200th of my assets, like $1b is for Musk) on a joke, especially if I knew I'd almost certainly never lose that much.

Re: Elon’s Out

#222
post #214
post #71

This article says Musk agreed to buy Twitter mostly as a joke. I think there's a far better explanation. This wasn't a joke for Musk because after agreeing to buy Twitter he proceeded to sell billions of dollars' worth of TSLA stock, supposedly to finance the purchase. Even for the richest man in the world that's not a joke. I think a better explanation is that Musk offered to buy Twitter as a cover for selling billi…

If that was his plan, what's he doing with the billions he now has in cash?

Trust funds for the next dozen of his babies?

Re: Elon’s Out

#223
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Court decisions can be appealed.

And those appeals can be ruled upon and then the case can reach a conclusion. It's not like the lawyers can just take _any_ case with _any_ facts and keep the case from _ever_ reaching a conclusion. The real question you should ask yourself is, if $44 billion is on the line, how long would you continue to pursue the case in the face of lawyers who are just trying to drag it out? Even if it went on for years (it's not…

I think you underestimate the burden on a company of multi-year litigation.

They won’t get any more buyers while it’s happening and it’s a massive distraction.

I’ve worked at companies like this and it brutal on employee morale. People just leave.

Re: Elon’s Out

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What if the court orders Musk to close the deal and he says no? I can't believe people are taking this very silly statement seriously. This is utter nonsense. There are remedies for people who disobey court orders. Having assets makes you more vulnerable to a court's authority because you have something to lose. If a court orders specific performance and he doesn't do it then he's liable and the court will take his…

Anytime the idea of a wealth tax is brought up, I see commenters coming out of the woodwork to say that it would be impossible to actually collect it from the wealthy. Though I will note that it seems like we are able to collect yachts and planes from Russian oligarchs now, so perhaps our techniques have advanced in the last few months.

It’s easier to collect from foreign billionaires who don’t have the connections. Igor will probably not fund your re-election campaign, but Musk might.

Re: Elon’s Out

#226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has become so valuable, more valuable than the rest of the auto industry combined at one point despite much lower revenue and sales numbers, because of loose monetary policy by the Federal Reserve creating artificially inflated asset prices. The Federal Reserve is directly responsible for Musk’s disproportionate wealth as Tesla stock zoomed past ridiculous levels. Tesla has been successful in many of its lines of…

> loose monetary policy by the Federal Reserve creating artificially inflated asset prices You can buy shares in other car manufacturers. Why would Tesla disproportionately benefit from inflated asset prices?

Because Tesla is in major indexes like the NASDAQ composite, and S&P 500, as well as many major/popular funds/ETFs. Additionally, many funds are weighted by market cap (so more expensive companies get even more disproportionate investment). And the majority of stock investment activity happens through these investment vehicles today.

Generally, anyone who puts money into a 401k, will likely have some of it going to Tesla and disproportionately over other auto companies - simply because how funds are typically weighted.

Re: Elon’s Out

#227

Musk holds a key piece of America’s future in space in SpaceX. I wonder if it’s only a matter of time before he starts dangling that to get what he wants in cases like this. I still am generally favorable toward Elon, but I think we’re seeing him transform into a villain

I see in Elon a trait I also have, which is to pick up random things, get interested in them for a while, and start to do things, and then realize you're not interested in it at all and drop it. I'm thinking of tunnels, neuralink, AI, taking Tesla private, child saving cave submarine, things like that. I can easily imagine he thought one day that he wanted to get into social media, went full steam ahead, and then rea…

Sounds like ADHD hyperfixation

Re: Elon’s Out

#228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He should see jailtime for the market manipulation. We'll see what happens. This isn't even a thing the SEC is known to be pursuing presently, so don't hold your breath.

> He should see jailtime for the market manipulation. Is that the normal punishment?

Who else is rich and dumb enough to do it in public via Twitter?

Mullosk's behavior is vastly more damaging to society compared to the quintessential enforcement example that is Martha Stewart.

Re: Elon’s Out

#229
So now there is a widespread support for Musk buying Twitter? Okay, he may end up owning Twitter whether he likes it or not. It is so funny and ironic. Whatever the outcome I agree.

Re: Elon’s Out

#230

Musk wasn't pretending to buy Twitter, the article is using a sort of simpleton interpretation of Musk's behavior. That's the interpretation someone would take if they dislike Musk and get overly emotional about his behavior. Musk is x y z. Oh my god, did you see the tweet he sent out!?! I just hate Musk, blah blah blah. He's such a terrible human. This one time he called a person a really bad name. - That's the type…

This to me seems the most reasonable explanation and explains most of the behaviors involved on both sides. I don’t buy into “it was just a joke that went too far” theory.

Musk doesn’t want a turd.

Twitter, essentially made a deal with the devil (from their perspective). Despite being initially opposed to this deal, they now has to sue to try and make it happen, because I suspect if it doesn’t “south of $30” is going to be more like “around $20” and there are a whole bunch of folks that might get interested in a takeover at that level with far more villain potential than Musk.

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