
Tesla stock sinks after Musk gives tearful NYT interview - smaili
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-musk-ubs/tesla-stock-sinks-after-musk-gives-tearful-nyt-interview-idUSKBN1L21EP
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nabla9
Don't blame short sellers if you are helping them with every interview and
public feud.

Just the fact that there is nobody strong enough in the company to talk sense
to Musk and put PR people between him and twitter says a lot. That pedophile
spectacle should have been the last time we hear unfiltered Musk.

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iaw
I think there's a reasonable argument to be made that if a leader has enough
time to spend some on twitter they probably have their priorities wrong.

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hn_throwaway_99
As much as I normally can't stand Twitter, the exact opposite is true. One of
the primary responsibilities of a leader of a company is public relations, and
Twitter is a useful conduit for that.

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unmole
If the CEO is having to work 120 hours a week and sleeping at the factory,
maybe Twitter PR isn't the most pressing concern.

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wand3r
While this is true, the guy lives, sweats and breathes his companies. If youve
ever seen the interview when he talks about pouring his last dollars into
spacex and tesla and having NASA come thru as well as his VCs at the 11th hour
around xmas (close of fiscal year) he talks about stress. He said “if i was
capable of an emotional breakdown, this is as close as i have ever come”.

He works for his goals 100% of the time and regardless of whether he is
fucking up, he defends his companies like children. He goes on Twitter for
both PR and defense. It is both emotional and tactical to different degrees.
Like or hate the guy, he’s fucking all in all the time. It both helps and
hurts his companies, but on balance i think it got him where he is.

~~~
hn_throwaway_99
Hallelujah. It's a little disheartening to me to see so many responses,
especially on HN of all places, sort of arguing that Musk should be acting
like a typical Fortune 500 CEO.

Musk's deep flaws are also the strengths that have allowed him to accomplish
the near impossible in the first place.

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melling
Tesla reached 70,000 Model 3’s today.

[https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-tesla-
tracker/](https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-tesla-tracker/)

Their next goal is 6,000 a week. Musk should just take a week off and let his
team work on it.

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jaimex2
So here's the thing - the NYT has painted a picture of a exhausted on the end
of his tether Musk...

But then we have an actual video interview given hours before:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MevKTPN4ozw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MevKTPN4ozw)

~~~
pixelperfect
To me he looks sleep deprived in this interview.

~~~
jryle70
He does but remains very engaged and passionate. That tells me he is fine. The
narrative was that he was near the point of breakdown which is over
exaggerated.

As an example:

[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-17/odey-
says...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-17/odey-says-tesla-
feels-like-it-s-entering-final-stage-of-life)

To me Musk always comes across as genuine, even to a fault with his often
optimistic predictions. HN crown seems to always hate corporate speech and
fake smoothness, I'd think his style would be appreciated here.

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phs318u
Maybe I'm being naive (and I'll admit that I haven't seen the interview), but
if your goal was to buy back shares to take the company private, wouldn't a
lower stock price be better for you?

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jaimex2
Thats the thing, there is no video interview... its just NYT's description.

There was another video interview done hours before:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MevKTPN4ozw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MevKTPN4ozw)

~~~
optimiz3
Musk looks haggard in the interview - Cramer commented if he were on the board
he'd insist on medical time off, can't say I disagree.

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acct1771
Who better to trust for insight in this issue than market manipulator, lack of
sleeping himself, Cramer?

Disclaimer: I don't disagree.

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staunch
Elon Musk crashing and burning is not a good outcome for the world. He's right
on the cusp of sustainable success but there's a chance he won't get over it.

Steve Jobs knew how to hire people that could do a lot of the stuff he wasn't
good at. Elon Musk hasn't become good at this yet.

Tim Cook should swoop in and buy Tesla right now. It's already a match made in
heaven and now would be a great time. Musk could take a breather and then they
would be an amazing team.

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shanghaiaway
If Apple bought Tesla they'd throw Musk out first thing.

~~~
staunch
Only if he didn't want to stay. Apple has a history of keeping around the CEOs
of acquired companies and Musk would be the best they ever got.

Just because the peanut gallery is on the Elon Musk sucks train doesn't mean
everyone is. Tim Cook isn't going to be swayed by a popularity contest.

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gdubs
Like a basketball player with their lucky socks, perhaps Musk attributes too
much of his earlier success to all nighters and 90hr weeks. All the science
around sleep would suggest that any occasional benefit from those intense
bursts of creativity will turn into a net loss if there’s never any time for
rest. Real rest, not Ambien “rest”.

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sidcool
Elon need not worry much about the Wall Street right now. His major concern
has to be hiring an Operational wizard. Elon can't do everything himself,
though he likes to believe he can. Elon, get someone like Tim Cook as a COO.
It will do wonders for Tesla and your personal life.

Also, meditate.

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gchokov
Funny. People wanted Musk for CEO of Apple, now Tim Cook as COO of Tesla. AAPL
+ TSLA, Cook + Musk, quite an action:)

~~~
sidcool
I doubt Musk would be a good fit for Apple. It won't fit Musk's ambitions.
Apple and Tesla have very different value propositions.

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speedplane
I'm surprised by the surprise. The interview was just Musk being Musk.
Everyone knew he worked his butt off, and devoted his life to his companies,
has been through a handful of failed marriages, and has generally harmed his
personal life. The interview just confirmed it.

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RickJWagner
I should know better to time the market, but the idea appeals to me so I've
been telling myself shorting Tesla could be a way to make a pile of money.
(Even without a business meltdown. Just economic headwinds could deflate
Tesla.)

I don't short though, because it seems somehow a little shady. (Wishing bad
luck on the shorted company.)

I'll just watch this one from the sidelines. It'll be interesting to see how
it all turns out.

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Ice_cream_suit
Too much Ambien.

