New theory - Elon is shorting the stock

[slipnslider]

It's the only way to explain his otherwise self destructive behavior.

He shorts the stock, acts crazy, calls people pedophiles, makes money.

Sadly, this might be the most optimistic interpretation of his recent behavior.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Well, I've heard crazier conspiracy theories here on TMC.

No, wait, no I haven't.

There's no way Elon could be shorting the stock and not reporting it to the SEC. EVERYTHING he trades on relating to Tesla (and related stocks) is reported. If he's not reporting it, he's in violation of the law and would be easily convicted of a felony.

And if was shorting the stock and reporting it, I believe that's a conflict of interest, since he's the CEO, a board member, and a majority stockholder. I'm not a wall street guy, but that's probably also illegal.

Note: I know that would be considered "shorting against the box".. but I really don't think he would be allowed to do that. What message does that send to the other 80% of the shareholders?

Next theory?

 

[slipnslider]

Next theory?

My next theory is that he's too foolishly reckless to run a company in such a precarious position.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Well, no argument there!

 

[Magellan55]

OP has an interesting theory, as I was wondering the same thing. Yes it would be very illegal, but that hasn't stopped other CEO's from doing bad things in the name of profit (Dieselgate anyone? Enron? WorldCom?). But what other theory makes sense for why the CEO would do things every few weeks everyone knows will send the stock down, at least temporarily? He's certainly smart enough to know by now what these acts / tweets will do to the stock price. The fact that he keeps doing it sure makes it look like he's doing it on purpose for some reason. Or maybe he really has gone insane.

That would make for some wild reality show drama, like our White House, to discover he's part of the whole shorts-media conspiracy to make tons of money off the unsuspecting public with the stock swings...

 

[Barklikeadog]

Well, I've heard crazier conspiracy theories here on TMC.

No, wait, no I haven't.

There's no way Elon could be shorting the stock and not reporting it to the SEC. EVERYTHING he trades on relating to Tesla (and related stocks) is reported. If he's not reporting it, he's in violation of the law and would be easily convicted of a felony.

And if was shorting the stock and reporting it, I believe that's a conflict of interest, since he's the CEO, a board member, and a majority stockholder. I'm not a wall street guy, but that's probably also illegal.

Note: I know that would be considered "shorting against the box".. but I really don't think he would be allowed to do that. What message does that send to the other 80% of the shareholders?

Next theory?

You are talking about Rule 144.
Musk is a control of the company and cannot short his stock, no way around it.

 

[Electroman]

EVEN Barklikeadog is not buying this.

That should be one hell of an conspiracy theory that even trolls in Seeking Alpha have not come up with.

I have a better theory. Elon is a Martian and is building a rocket to get back home.

 

[thecloud]

I have a better theory. Elon is a Martian and is building a rocket to get back home.

That theory was speculated in a story called "The Vital Factor," well over 60 years ago.

 

[Barklikeadog]

EVEN Barklikeadog is not buying this.

That should be one hell of an conspiracy theory that even trolls in Seeking Alpha have not come up with.

I have a better theory. Elon is a Martian and is building a rocket to get back home.

I can't even think of a ceo shorting scandal.

 

[Vaxe]

It's the only way to explain his otherwise self destructive behavior.

He shorts the stock, acts crazy, calls people pedophiles, makes money.

Sadly, this might be the most optimistic interpretation of his recent behavior.

Careful here, Musk sheeps will downvote anything that suggests their idol is not a benevolent being. I upvoted you to balance out the haters.

 

[Chickenlittle]

It's the only way to explain his otherwise self destructive behavior.

He shorts the stock, acts crazy, calls people pedophiles, makes money.

Sadly, this might be the most optimistic interpretation of his recent behavior.

I strongly doubt this. It does remind me of Henry Ford. When his company became wildly successful he resented paying dividends to investors. Turned over company to son and announced he was starting new company to produce even cheaper car. Shock tanked and he took company private. Musk has always expressed gratitude and commitment to investors (not day traders or shorts) and would never do that

 

[elasalle]

It's the only way to explain his otherwise self destructive behavior.

He shorts the stock, acts crazy, calls people pedophiles, makes money.

Sadly, this might be the most optimistic interpretation of his recent behavior.

Old theory is that FUDsters will try anything

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Careful here, Musk sheeps will downvote anything that suggests their idol is not a benevolent being. I upvoted you to balance out the haters.

I downvoted his post because the idea is stupid and would be too difficult to carry out given the immense regulatory scrutiny on publicly traded companies. Even Barklikeadog, a consistent Tesla detractor here, finds it implausible.

And no, Elon Musk is not a "benevolent being". Anyone with half a brain who has read Ashlee Vance's biography of Elon Musk, and who has been watching him for the past 20 years, will know that he is a highly ambitious and often extremely difficult to work with. The reason most people here stick with Tesla is that Musk gets things done, even if it is usually 1-2 years late.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Careful here, Musk sheeps will downvote anything that suggests their idol is not a benevolent being. I upvoted you to balance out the haters.

I disliked your post because his post was so wrong. The behavior is much more easily ascribed to a large but fragile ego, especially when the suggested alternative is seriously illegal.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Careful here, Musk sheeps will downvote anything that suggests their idol is not a benevolent being. I upvoted you to balance out the haters.

This isn't reddit.. "upvoting" and "downvoting" really don't matter much here, except for fragile egos.

 

[Benjanos]

Wild tweets and insolence to the market manipulators? What do you expect? The guy is an abnormal achiever so we get what we get, but he is also human.

Why short his own stock and risk what would come if it got out? Risk his personal and financial investment in Tesla and SpaceX?

@slipnslider. Are you a bored troll or a shorter yourself?

 

[shanejackson]

But Grimes dont have to report to the SEC!!!

 

[TheLocNar]

It’s the drugs and ego. Hope he gets help.

 

[NeverFollow]

It's the only way to explain his otherwise self destructive behavior.

He shorts the stock, acts crazy, calls people pedophiles, makes money.

Sadly, this might be the most optimistic interpretation of his recent behavior.

I think that you raise a point that I worry a liitle bit about.

This not about behaviour, but a tendency that some CEOs become isolated of the rest of the company by

getting surrounded by 'Yes' people who agree and accecpt and don't challenge any position taken by their big boss,

or just leave the company or get fired or asked to take a leave otherwise.


This occurs for example with Volkswagen, which was already the biggest automobile company, but the big boss

wanted even more, and none of the executives involved at the time didn't interfered with the decision to game the

emission control, and acted like teenagers just to save few hundred boxes on each car, without considering of

a possible scandale thereafter. This kind of inethical behaviour occured similarly with other manufacturers

regarding safety recall issues or real gas mileage and so on.


I imagine that keeping a float any kind of business must be a constant challenge, and finding a good balance

between delagating power and keeping the control of any major decisons of the very top is certainly even harder.

But even successful company eventually could fail or decline and I don't want to see this occuring with Tesla.

 

[JulienW]

Or it could be he is actually a flawed human (as we all are in are own ways). Fantastic visionary and entrepreneur, but somewhat inept at social skills.