Yeah, if it weren't funny, it'd be painful to watch. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ety-moderation

I wonder if he'll back down against the EU, or if he'll stand his ground and let Twitter be blocked in the world's 3rd most populous continent.
https://www.businesstoday.in/technol...210-2023-05-29
https://www.euractiv.com/section/pla...exit-possible/
Well, he was the wealthiest before buying Twitter... His wealth fell by ~63% during the 14 months after November 2021.

Given the same starting point, I'm sure many of those "Monday Morning Quarterbacks" could have done better... though perhaps with less sensationalism.

Yep, just 'flailing' along,lol.


"Elon Musk has reclaimed his position as the world’s wealthiest person.

That’s according to a Bloomberg Billionaires tally, which estimated the Tesla (TSLA) CEO’s net worth is now about $192 billion, compared to LVMH (LVMHF) CEO Bernard Arnault’s $187 billion.

The two centibillionaires, a term used to refer to people with fortunes of more than $100 billion, have been neck-and-neck for the top spot for months."
By Michelle Toh, CNN
Updated 10:27 PM EDT, Wed May 31, 2023

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/31/busin...hnk/index.html

"Elon Musk

@elonmusk
This platform will provide email addresses of subscribers (who opt in) to content creators, so that creators are able to leave this platform easily & take their subscribers with them if they want
1:31 AM · Jun 7, 2023" https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1666331961281900545

... Which is $150 billion less than he had in November 2021.

Your definition of success intrigues me.

Most of that loss was in over-priced TESLA stock - $314.67 to 101.81 - back to 209.48. The Tesla Model Y is once again leading car sales around the World. I doubt Mr. Musk loses sleep over balancing his check book.

Which explains all of the recovery in his wealth... The bounce back to position #1 has nothing to do with Twitter.

His position has also been helped by governments around the world. Eg: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary...d2223a/23bd009

Could you imagine owning a company selling products which are subsidised by governments everywhere?

Anyhow, his marketing strategy (wrapped up as the Twitter purchase) certainly seems to have worked on you. How long until you buy a Tesla? Would you have even considered it 3 years ago?

For some reason your link is throwing a "WAF BLOCK" for me.

"How long until you buy a Tesla?" - likely never. I'm a diesel fan although I ran big block Chevy pick-up trucks most of my life. I may buy a Ford 'Lightning' when they become more available.

Try this one: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Frin...ars-exemption/

For context: There is no such exemption for petrol or diesel powered vehicles.

That link worked. No help for someone such as myself who uses trucks for both work and 'play', that I saw. It will be interesting to see 'real World' performance of electric vehicles in rural areas here in the States and elsewhere.

It seems a bit silly to credit or blame a person for fluctuations in the stock market which are obviously beyond their control. (I would imagine the 2021 high and subsequent drop are more about interest rates than any particular company action.)

And the particular ranking of centibillionaires also seems a bit silly since so much of their wealth is non-cash, any particular number given is just an estimate.

Not sure about Australia, but didn't all American auto-makers get bailouts by the government a few years ago?

No, just GM and Chrysler with Ford having enough cash on hand to out last the crisis. The bailout was considered emergency loans with Chrysler repaying everything and GM not repaying something like 9 billion.

Nitpick: Shouldn't CNN be using "hectobillionaire" rather than "centibillionaire" for someone who has 100 billion?

Mostly true, in that people use it for the size of its community more than anything else. That doesn't stop users legitimately complaining about the owner's behaviour/politics/other businesses though. I've tried a couple of alternatives and found they have better interfaces, but dang they're quiet. FWIW I think the Twitter UI has improved a bit since Musk took over, and the kind of users it chooses to show me have complained a bit less about censorship.

It depends upon what you mean by "truck."

Having highlighted those rules, I have to also say that there are blanket exceptions for vehicles specified to carry more than 1,000 kilograms. They tend to be a "piece of equipment," rather than recreational use vehicles.

If you're talking about a basic Dodge Ram or Ford F-100, then there's no joy for you. The standard payloads for both of those are less than 1,000 kilograms (550 in the case of a basic Ram... a bit pathetic for something that big).

If you're talking about an 8 ton trayback, then yes, they're exempted from Fringe Benefits Tax and their owners also get to claim a rebate for the excise on the diesel they use.
Yes, it certainly will.

That's not quite the same as being spoonfed customers by governments who incentivise the purchase of your product.

Elon is being handed customers on a silver platter. He's in the right place at the right time. It doesn't take much skill to grow a business in that situation.

You or I could easily do it if either of us were born into the same circumstances as Mr. Musk.