Tag: Tesla

Posted on by Tim Worstall

Tesla Shows Why Keynesian Demand Stimulus Through Infrastructure Doesn’t Work

Let us, just for the sake of argument, agree with Keynesian economists. It is possible for the economy to get stuck at a non-optimal equilibrium. Government can then – should then – shock the economy to an optimal equilibrium through intervention.

The underlying method here being to stimulate demand in the economy. This involves increasing the budget deficit (for MMT types, print more money and spend it) by either spending more money or cutting taxes. The usual preference is to go build infrastructure because multipliers.…

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

No, Really, Elon Musk Did Not Make $2.3 Billion From Tesla Last Year

Business Insider tells us that Elon Musk got paid $2.3 billion last year to be the CEO of Tesla.

No, really, Elon Musk did not get paid $2.3 billion to be CEO of Tesla last year. Not even close.

Business Insider tells us this because the New York Times said so, because they were told so by Equilar. And no, this is not correct – it’s Equilar who have their measure of CEO compensation wrong.…

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

This Isn’t A Bad Idea From Tesla – How To Slash The Costs Of Solar Installations

Whether this is actually going to work or not is another thing but this is still a good idea – a decent attempt say – from Tesla. There’s only so much of the cost of a solar power installation which is the power system itself. As with the equipment, only so much of which is the panels and a goodly chunk is the inverter etc, so with the total package. The equipment is some part of the cost, installing it all is another part of that total system cost.…

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

Give Elon Musk More Money Act! Legislators Propose Extending EV Credits To Tesla And GM

That Elon Musk is a great entrepreneur is true, sadly one of the ways he’s a great entrepreneur is in his ability to suck taxpayer subsidies into his projects. Tesla, as an example, has waxed fat off the $7,500 credit for buying an electric vehicle, an EV. That credit is now half what it was for Tesla and disappears entirely soon – not good for Tesla’s bottom line or, possibly, its ability to survive. So, what do we see being introduced?…

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

And So It Begins – Tesla’s Slide Back To Reality

The idea that Tesla was going to propel itself through into a full on mass manufacturing car producer was always a bit of a fairy tale. Sure, it could have happened, after all, history shows that some have done it simply because we do in fact have full on mass manufacturing car companies. But not many of those who have tried have succeeded and many of those which have were conquering virgin territory. Still, it was possible to hope.…

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

Whoops, Reverse Course! Tesla Backtracks on Price Cuts And Store Closures

Those announced changes at Tesla – forget it, back as you were. The price cuts and store closures aren’t going to be happening. It’s possible to look at this in two markedly different ways. One is that this is evidence of the remarkable flexibility of an entrepreneurial company. The very reason why the young and the new can dance rings around the industry dinosaurs. The other that this is evidence of a young and new company doing something damn foolish then realising.…

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

Elon Musk’s Been A Very Naughty Boy Tweeting About Tesla Says The SEC

That Elon Musk hasn’t quite grasped the responsibilities of running a publicly listed company should be obvious by now but the SEC’s had to remind him concerning Tesla. You’re not allowed to Tweet out whatever publicity you think you’d like to tell people. Things that are material statements about the company are things that need to be communicated formally, through the formal channels.

This is not rocket science – something which Elon’s other company shows is easier to certain personality types:

Elon Musk could face a possible a jail sentence after an American regulator asked a judge to hold him in contempt for ignoring an order banning him from tweeting market-moving information about the company.

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

Elon Musk’s Lawyer At Tesla Quits – Probably Wise Really

It can be amusing what stories just turn up in the feed. At times the conjunction of them can be all too apposite:

Tesla’s general counsel leaves the company after two months

That might actually be a wise decision:

Tesla’s general counsel is leaving the company after just two months on the job — the latest in a series of executive departures at Elon Musk’s electric car company. Dane Butswinkas, who joined Tesla (TSLA) in December, will return to his legal practice at Williams & Connolly in Washington, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

An Interesting Thought – Has Elon Musk Breached Securities Laws By Making Tesla Announcements On Twitter?

There’s at least an arguable case that Elon Musk has breached securities laws by announcing various Tesla plans and ideas upon Twitter.

One final note that makes me chuckle. Elon made his big announcement on Twitter. He has also blocked a lot of people on Twitter–including me in 2013 or 2014. Well, selective disclosure of public information–giving it to some people earlier than others–violates Reg FD (“Regulation Fair Disclosure”). So by (a) blocking me (and many others) on , and (b) running his big brain waves through, Twitter, Elon might have committed other securities violations.

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Posted on by Tim Worstall

Elon Musk Gains Public Subsidies, Elon Musk Donates To Both Political Parties. Yes, And?

It appears to have shocked some that Elon Musk has donated money to the Republicans. Or a Republican supporting PAC, or something, even perhaps he’s donated some money to politicians not entirely and wholly on board with the progressive project. At which point perhaps we’ve got to aid some people with a little information. Sure, some business people do in fact believe. Most though are paying for access when they make a political donation. No, not – or not necessarily – for a specific action, but just to make sure their phone calls get returned.…

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