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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
December 22, 2022
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/21/us/politics/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-political-donations.html
https://archive.ph/rfKYc
Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas in April. He agreed this week to be extradited to the United States after being charged with offenses including wire and securities fraud and money laundering.
snip
Billboards with his frizzy-haired visage popped up in Manhattan; journalists examined his growing political empire and his “schlubby” personal style. Endless articles were written about “effective altruism,” his utilitarian-tinged philanthropic philosophy. At one point, Forbes pegged his net worth as high as $26.5 billion; Fortune ran a cover, cringe-inducing in hindsight, asking, “The Next Warren Buffett?” It’s hard to quickly sum up the extent of the influence operation Bankman-Fried, 30, and his associates built during his meteoric ascent. My colleagues have described it as “a network of political action committees, nonprofits and consulting firms” that “worked to court politicians, regulators and others in the policy orbit.”
Last week, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas, and a federal grand jury indicted him on eight charges that include wire and securities fraud and money laundering, along with conspiracy to commit those offenses. He has agreed to be extradited to the United States as soon as Wednesday, a decision one of his lawyers said defied “the strongest possible legal advice.” Bankman-Fried has denied wrongdoing. The extraordinary financial scandal has also become a sticky political morass, sucking in dozens of lawmakers and groups. Prosecutors also accused Bankman-Fried last week of defrauding the Federal Election Commission by running what’s known as a straw-donor scheme — making political contributions under someone else’s name.
Bankman-Fried’s contributions, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said last week, “were disguised to look like they were coming from wealthy co-conspirators when in fact the contributions were funded by Alameda Research,” a hedge fund closely tied to Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, “with stolen customer money.” FTX, under new management, said on Tuesday that it wanted to recoup that money, and is threatening legal action if the cash is not returned voluntarily. It’s not clear how much is considered stolen, but Bankman-Fried and his associates poured at least $70 million into various campaigns over 18 months.
In 2022, Bankman-Fried donated about $40 million to various candidates and political committees, overwhelmingly to Democrats. Those donations were “mostly for pandemic prevention,” Bankman-Fried has insisted. But a less lofty aim of his influence-peddling, clearly, was to shape federal regulations in his company’s favor. Before his arrest, Bankman-Fried told Tiffany Fong, a YouTube journalist, that he had also donated about the same amount to Republicans in ways, he suggested, that would not necessarily pop up in federal campaign finance reports.
snip
Why No One in Politics Wants to Talk About the Sam Bankman-Fried Scandal
The fallout from the crypto controversy is widely spread — and it has hit both parties.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/21/us/politics/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-political-donations.html
https://archive.ph/rfKYc
Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas in April. He agreed this week to be extradited to the United States after being charged with offenses including wire and securities fraud and money laundering.
snip
Billboards with his frizzy-haired visage popped up in Manhattan; journalists examined his growing political empire and his “schlubby” personal style. Endless articles were written about “effective altruism,” his utilitarian-tinged philanthropic philosophy. At one point, Forbes pegged his net worth as high as $26.5 billion; Fortune ran a cover, cringe-inducing in hindsight, asking, “The Next Warren Buffett?” It’s hard to quickly sum up the extent of the influence operation Bankman-Fried, 30, and his associates built during his meteoric ascent. My colleagues have described it as “a network of political action committees, nonprofits and consulting firms” that “worked to court politicians, regulators and others in the policy orbit.”
Last week, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas, and a federal grand jury indicted him on eight charges that include wire and securities fraud and money laundering, along with conspiracy to commit those offenses. He has agreed to be extradited to the United States as soon as Wednesday, a decision one of his lawyers said defied “the strongest possible legal advice.” Bankman-Fried has denied wrongdoing. The extraordinary financial scandal has also become a sticky political morass, sucking in dozens of lawmakers and groups. Prosecutors also accused Bankman-Fried last week of defrauding the Federal Election Commission by running what’s known as a straw-donor scheme — making political contributions under someone else’s name.
Bankman-Fried’s contributions, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said last week, “were disguised to look like they were coming from wealthy co-conspirators when in fact the contributions were funded by Alameda Research,” a hedge fund closely tied to Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, “with stolen customer money.” FTX, under new management, said on Tuesday that it wanted to recoup that money, and is threatening legal action if the cash is not returned voluntarily. It’s not clear how much is considered stolen, but Bankman-Fried and his associates poured at least $70 million into various campaigns over 18 months.
In 2022, Bankman-Fried donated about $40 million to various candidates and political committees, overwhelmingly to Democrats. Those donations were “mostly for pandemic prevention,” Bankman-Fried has insisted. But a less lofty aim of his influence-peddling, clearly, was to shape federal regulations in his company’s favor. Before his arrest, Bankman-Fried told Tiffany Fong, a YouTube journalist, that he had also donated about the same amount to Republicans in ways, he suggested, that would not necessarily pop up in federal campaign finance reports.
snip
December 22, 2022
https://archive.ph/5LhoH
For the past few years, Republicans have largely stood by as various figures have sought to raise their profiles in the conservative movement by advancing baseless allegations of voter fraud — from Trump-aligned lawyers such as L. Lin Wood, Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
An apparent obstacle to the party taking action: Such figures were saying much the same thing as Donald Trump (and some were directly working for him, to advance his stolen-election cause in public and in court). So the GOP simply offered its own watered-down reasons for questioning the 2020 results, while sidestepping the actual claims made by Trump and these emerging thought leaders.
Now one of them has trained his “stolen election” claims on a new target — and a Republican, at that: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. On his show Tuesday, Lindell indicated that he’s going to turn his crack team of voter-fraud investigators on DeSantis’s win in the 2022 midterms. The purported reason? The margin of victory was just too big — particularly in Miami-Dade County. (The unstated but more likely reason? DeSantis is a growing threat to Trump.)
Lindell previewed his case on air after initially pausing while he got some advice from his lawyer about what he was about to say. (Lindell is being sued over his false claims about voting machines in the 2020 election.) He went on to repeatedly reference “Dade County” even though it has been called Miami-Dade County since 1997. “I don’t believe it,” Lindell said, of DeSantis’s win there. “So it’s just going to show everybody — just like we always tell you about Democrats where they stole their elections … I’m going to find out if Dade County — what happened there.”
snip
eating their own!
Mike Lindell turns his 'stolen election' fantasies on new target: DeSantis
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/21/lindell-desantis-miami-dade-win/https://archive.ph/5LhoH
For the past few years, Republicans have largely stood by as various figures have sought to raise their profiles in the conservative movement by advancing baseless allegations of voter fraud — from Trump-aligned lawyers such as L. Lin Wood, Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
An apparent obstacle to the party taking action: Such figures were saying much the same thing as Donald Trump (and some were directly working for him, to advance his stolen-election cause in public and in court). So the GOP simply offered its own watered-down reasons for questioning the 2020 results, while sidestepping the actual claims made by Trump and these emerging thought leaders.
Now one of them has trained his “stolen election” claims on a new target — and a Republican, at that: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. On his show Tuesday, Lindell indicated that he’s going to turn his crack team of voter-fraud investigators on DeSantis’s win in the 2022 midterms. The purported reason? The margin of victory was just too big — particularly in Miami-Dade County. (The unstated but more likely reason? DeSantis is a growing threat to Trump.)
Lindell previewed his case on air after initially pausing while he got some advice from his lawyer about what he was about to say. (Lindell is being sued over his false claims about voting machines in the 2020 election.) He went on to repeatedly reference “Dade County” even though it has been called Miami-Dade County since 1997. “I don’t believe it,” Lindell said, of DeSantis’s win there. “So it’s just going to show everybody — just like we always tell you about Democrats where they stole their elections … I’m going to find out if Dade County — what happened there.”
snip
eating their own!
December 22, 2022
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/12/22/spending-bill-omnibus-congress/
https://archive.ph/rBN70
Congressional lawmakers hope on Thursday to finalize a bipartisan, roughly $1.7 trillion bill that boosts domestic and defense spending through most of 2023, funding the government and averting a catastrophic shutdown in the waning hours of the year.
The compilation of long-stalled appropriations bills, known as an omnibus, would provide nearly $773 billion for domestic programs and more than $850 billion for the military, covering expenses through fiscal 2023, which concludes at the end of September.
Lawmakers also added about $45 billion of emergency aid to Ukraine while using the must-pass measure as a vehicle to advance a slew of additional proposals — including an overhaul of how the country counts electoral votes in presidential elections.
A trio of negotiators — Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) and Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) — released the 4,155-page omnibus in the early hours Tuesday morning after months of bipartisan talks. House Republicans largely sat out of those discussions, arguing that their counterparts in the Senate should not have negotiated with Democrats until next year, when the GOP assumes control of the House.
snip
Congress has a $1.7 trillion bill to fund the government. Here's what's in it.
Major boosts for Pentagon spending — and items as varied as election reform and a TikTok ban — are part of the sweeping package known as the omnibushttps://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/12/22/spending-bill-omnibus-congress/
https://archive.ph/rBN70
Congressional lawmakers hope on Thursday to finalize a bipartisan, roughly $1.7 trillion bill that boosts domestic and defense spending through most of 2023, funding the government and averting a catastrophic shutdown in the waning hours of the year.
The compilation of long-stalled appropriations bills, known as an omnibus, would provide nearly $773 billion for domestic programs and more than $850 billion for the military, covering expenses through fiscal 2023, which concludes at the end of September.
Lawmakers also added about $45 billion of emergency aid to Ukraine while using the must-pass measure as a vehicle to advance a slew of additional proposals — including an overhaul of how the country counts electoral votes in presidential elections.
A trio of negotiators — Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) and Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) — released the 4,155-page omnibus in the early hours Tuesday morning after months of bipartisan talks. House Republicans largely sat out of those discussions, arguing that their counterparts in the Senate should not have negotiated with Democrats until next year, when the GOP assumes control of the House.
snip
December 22, 2022
Japanese design studio Nendo has created a gold-coloured Christmas tree for the Tokyo Midtown shopping centre in Roppongi, Tokyo, with kinetic cutouts designed to resemble "sparkling lights". The 7.5-metre-high tree, which sits in the middle of the shopping centre, has a polyhedral surface made from flat metal panels that have been bolted together to form a pyramid.
Behind the panels, which have fluttering star-shaped cutouts, sit 416 compact fans. These were programmed to move the panels in patterns up, down and across the tree. "The pieces not only sway and move with the wind but can also stop swinging in the air catching the wind at the programmed timing," Nendo said. "By continuously receiving a certain amount of airflow, the pieces also float upward in a sustained manner."
The patterned cutouts, which Nendo said resemble "sparkling lights", appear to swirl around the tree or create a rhythmic pattern that moves up and down the conical installation. Matching cutouts in the same colour, described by Nendo as a "matte champagne gold", were hung from the ceiling elsewhere in the shopping centre.
These pieces, which comprise both the cutout stars and the squares from which they were cut, can be seen on Tokyo Midtown's garden terrace as well as in its galleria and atrium terraces. "The theme glitter in the air translates to creating the uplifting and shimmering atmosphere, the very essence of Christmas, by literally generating 'glitters' by 'air'," Nendo said of the decorative ornaments.
snip
Nendo designs polyhedral Christmas tree with flickering star-shaped cutouts
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/12/17/nendo-polyhedral-christmas-tree-star-shaped-cutouts/Japanese design studio Nendo has created a gold-coloured Christmas tree for the Tokyo Midtown shopping centre in Roppongi, Tokyo, with kinetic cutouts designed to resemble "sparkling lights". The 7.5-metre-high tree, which sits in the middle of the shopping centre, has a polyhedral surface made from flat metal panels that have been bolted together to form a pyramid.
Behind the panels, which have fluttering star-shaped cutouts, sit 416 compact fans. These were programmed to move the panels in patterns up, down and across the tree. "The pieces not only sway and move with the wind but can also stop swinging in the air catching the wind at the programmed timing," Nendo said. "By continuously receiving a certain amount of airflow, the pieces also float upward in a sustained manner."
The patterned cutouts, which Nendo said resemble "sparkling lights", appear to swirl around the tree or create a rhythmic pattern that moves up and down the conical installation. Matching cutouts in the same colour, described by Nendo as a "matte champagne gold", were hung from the ceiling elsewhere in the shopping centre.
These pieces, which comprise both the cutout stars and the squares from which they were cut, can be seen on Tokyo Midtown's garden terrace as well as in its galleria and atrium terraces. "The theme glitter in the air translates to creating the uplifting and shimmering atmosphere, the very essence of Christmas, by literally generating 'glitters' by 'air'," Nendo said of the decorative ornaments.
snip
December 22, 2022
https://www.socialeurope.eu/gaslighting-europe-on-fossil-fuels
Devastation in Karachi—this year’s extreme weather events highlighted the urgency of climate action
Rarely does the public get the chance to see the fossil-fuel industry’s lobbying strategy laid out so clearly and in such detail. Such corporate information is normally kept under lock and key—while citizens are left wrestling with the consequences of repeatedly diluted climate policies and continued reliance on fossil fuels.
That’s what makes strategy documents which were posted on the International Gas Union’s (IGU) website so unique. Previously unseen, they detail the advocacy, communications and outreach strategies of a group which boasts more than 150 members and claims to represent over 90 per cent of the global gas industry. Unsurprisingly, they have now been removed.
As part of InfluenceMap’s work in tracking climate-policy lobbying by the fossil-fuels sector, we have analysed dozens of these documents, covering several years to late 2021. They provide an insight into the highly organised and co-ordinated nature of the global gas industry. They also supply the industry’s global disinformation playbook—in its own words.
‘Existential’ threat … to value chain
This year, the world has witnessed catastrophic weather events devastate Pakistan and Nigeria, while Europe experienced the hottest summer on record (again). These episodes were further proof of the ‘code red’ signal to humanity from accelerating climate change. In developing its 2021 position statement, the IGU itself discussed the ‘potentially existential’ threat of climate change—but with a crucial difference. For the organisation, the threat of climate change was not to humanity but to the ‘global natural gas value chain’. This ‘understanding’ of the problem also characterised its response: rather than look at how fossil gas contributed to climate change, the IGU argued that it must instead find a ‘positive message to defend and enhance the role of gas’.
snip
'Gaslighting' Europe on fossil fuels
https://www.socialeurope.eu/gaslighting-europe-on-fossil-fuels
Devastation in Karachi—this year’s extreme weather events highlighted the urgency of climate action
Rarely does the public get the chance to see the fossil-fuel industry’s lobbying strategy laid out so clearly and in such detail. Such corporate information is normally kept under lock and key—while citizens are left wrestling with the consequences of repeatedly diluted climate policies and continued reliance on fossil fuels.
That’s what makes strategy documents which were posted on the International Gas Union’s (IGU) website so unique. Previously unseen, they detail the advocacy, communications and outreach strategies of a group which boasts more than 150 members and claims to represent over 90 per cent of the global gas industry. Unsurprisingly, they have now been removed.
As part of InfluenceMap’s work in tracking climate-policy lobbying by the fossil-fuels sector, we have analysed dozens of these documents, covering several years to late 2021. They provide an insight into the highly organised and co-ordinated nature of the global gas industry. They also supply the industry’s global disinformation playbook—in its own words.
‘Existential’ threat … to value chain
This year, the world has witnessed catastrophic weather events devastate Pakistan and Nigeria, while Europe experienced the hottest summer on record (again). These episodes were further proof of the ‘code red’ signal to humanity from accelerating climate change. In developing its 2021 position statement, the IGU itself discussed the ‘potentially existential’ threat of climate change—but with a crucial difference. For the organisation, the threat of climate change was not to humanity but to the ‘global natural gas value chain’. This ‘understanding’ of the problem also characterised its response: rather than look at how fossil gas contributed to climate change, the IGU argued that it must instead find a ‘positive message to defend and enhance the role of gas’.
snip
December 22, 2022
Get well soon,
@Pele🙏
https://twitter.com/JacobsBen/status/1605701521328447495
Pele's daughter, Kely Nascimento, says he'll spend Christmas in hospital. The Hospital Israelita
Albert Einstein confirm Pele's cancer has progressed and "requires greater care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions".Get well soon,
@Pele🙏
https://twitter.com/JacobsBen/status/1605701521328447495
December 21, 2022
Several prominent pastors say their congregations are looking to others like Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis to steer the Republican Party back on track. “Donald Trump has to go,” as one evangelical columnist put it.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/12/evangelicals-donald-trump-2024
In the lead-up to the 2020 election, Donald Trump leaned heavily on his own version of the “silent majority,” hoping that a mythical demographic, which handed Richard Nixon two presidential victories, would carry him across the finish line. That prediction did not pan out in 2020—or in this year’s midterms. And after suffering three disappointing election cycles, Trump now appears to be faced with a silent majority of conservatives who are turning increasingly against him: evangelical voters.
“There’s a lot of people who share a lot of our similar thoughts but don’t want to go on record," Bob Vander Plaats, one of America’s top evangelical thought leaders, who hesitantly backed Trump in 2016, tells me. “You can see that it’s almost a silent majority right now,” he says. Everett Piper, a Washington Times columnist and the former president of an evangelical university, published a post-midterm polemic last month arguing that Trump is “hurting…not helping” American evangelicals. “The take-home of this past week is simple: Donald Trump has to go,” Piper added. “If he’s our nominee in 2024, we will get destroyed.”
Earlier this month, televangelist James Robison, who served as a spiritual adviser to Trump, likened the former president to a “little elementary schoolchild” while addressing the National Association of Christian Lawmakers. Another major evangelical leader, who requested anonymity, tells me there’s “no doubt” that if Trump wins the primary, Republicans will “get crushed in the general.” But even as some evangelical leaders seek a divorce, Trump’s influence on the Republican Party has held strong. He’s centered many of the culture wars that evangelical voters have been harping on for decades. And, increasingly, the party’s agenda has become nearly interchangeable with the attitudes of evangelical voters.
Take, for example, the dramatic rise of Florida governor Ron DeSantis: Despite not having officially entered the 2024 race, he has emerged as the GOP front-runner, in part, by courting the religious right with combative rhetoric, hawkish moral policies, and a knack for making cultural enemies. This summer, the Florida governor was invited to attend the Faith & Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority conference, where thousands of evangelical voters gathered to listen to several 2024 contenders, and was recently endorsed by Tom Ascol, a prominent evangelical pastor. Perhaps his biggest play with evangelicals came just before the November midterms, when the Florida governor released an ad portraying himself as an Old Testament warrior. “On the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a protector,’” the narrator of the spot, who mentioned “God” 10 times in 96 seconds, told viewers. “So God made a fighter.”
snip
"We Will Get Destroyed": Evangelicals Are Quietly Ditching Donald Trump's 2024 Bid
Several prominent pastors say their congregations are looking to others like Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis to steer the Republican Party back on track. “Donald Trump has to go,” as one evangelical columnist put it.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/12/evangelicals-donald-trump-2024
In the lead-up to the 2020 election, Donald Trump leaned heavily on his own version of the “silent majority,” hoping that a mythical demographic, which handed Richard Nixon two presidential victories, would carry him across the finish line. That prediction did not pan out in 2020—or in this year’s midterms. And after suffering three disappointing election cycles, Trump now appears to be faced with a silent majority of conservatives who are turning increasingly against him: evangelical voters.
“There’s a lot of people who share a lot of our similar thoughts but don’t want to go on record," Bob Vander Plaats, one of America’s top evangelical thought leaders, who hesitantly backed Trump in 2016, tells me. “You can see that it’s almost a silent majority right now,” he says. Everett Piper, a Washington Times columnist and the former president of an evangelical university, published a post-midterm polemic last month arguing that Trump is “hurting…not helping” American evangelicals. “The take-home of this past week is simple: Donald Trump has to go,” Piper added. “If he’s our nominee in 2024, we will get destroyed.”
Earlier this month, televangelist James Robison, who served as a spiritual adviser to Trump, likened the former president to a “little elementary schoolchild” while addressing the National Association of Christian Lawmakers. Another major evangelical leader, who requested anonymity, tells me there’s “no doubt” that if Trump wins the primary, Republicans will “get crushed in the general.” But even as some evangelical leaders seek a divorce, Trump’s influence on the Republican Party has held strong. He’s centered many of the culture wars that evangelical voters have been harping on for decades. And, increasingly, the party’s agenda has become nearly interchangeable with the attitudes of evangelical voters.
Take, for example, the dramatic rise of Florida governor Ron DeSantis: Despite not having officially entered the 2024 race, he has emerged as the GOP front-runner, in part, by courting the religious right with combative rhetoric, hawkish moral policies, and a knack for making cultural enemies. This summer, the Florida governor was invited to attend the Faith & Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority conference, where thousands of evangelical voters gathered to listen to several 2024 contenders, and was recently endorsed by Tom Ascol, a prominent evangelical pastor. Perhaps his biggest play with evangelicals came just before the November midterms, when the Florida governor released an ad portraying himself as an Old Testament warrior. “On the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a protector,’” the narrator of the spot, who mentioned “God” 10 times in 96 seconds, told viewers. “So God made a fighter.”
snip
December 21, 2022
Can't wait to see the GOP spin on this shit.
https://twitter.com/JoJoFromJerz/status/1605623082122608649
December 21, 2022
His fortune has tumbled more this year than it rose in 2021
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-20/elon-musk-s-net-worth-sinks-to-two-year-low-as-criticism-mounts
https://archive.ph/ARDEs
Elon Musk’s fortune continues to take a beating a week after he lost his spot as the world’s richest person. His net worth tumbled $7.7 billion on Tuesday after Tesla Inc. shares had their steepest one-day loss since October.
The selloff adds to the woes of Musk, who lost his status as the world’s richest person to luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault on Dec. 13. Musk’s losses for the year now total $122.6 billion, exceeding the amount he gained in 2021 when his fortune soared to rank among the biggest in history.
The Tesla chief executive officer’s net worth is now $147.7 billion, the lowest in more than two years, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk’s fortune is primarily comprised of Tesla stock and options. The automaker’s spiraling shares pose a particular risk for Musk, 51, who leveraged more of his position to finance his acquisition of Twitter in October.
Tesla shareholders have expressed increasing alarm over Musk’s preoccupation with Twitter, which he’s attempting to lead through a messy and public turnaround. He posted a poll on Twitter asking users to vote whether he should step down as head of the social platform. Almost 58% of the 17.5 million respondents said he should.
snip
Elon Musk's Net Worth Sinks to Two-Year Low Tesla CEO's wealth at $147.7 billion after firm's shares
fallHis fortune has tumbled more this year than it rose in 2021
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-20/elon-musk-s-net-worth-sinks-to-two-year-low-as-criticism-mounts
https://archive.ph/ARDEs
Elon Musk’s fortune continues to take a beating a week after he lost his spot as the world’s richest person. His net worth tumbled $7.7 billion on Tuesday after Tesla Inc. shares had their steepest one-day loss since October.
The selloff adds to the woes of Musk, who lost his status as the world’s richest person to luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault on Dec. 13. Musk’s losses for the year now total $122.6 billion, exceeding the amount he gained in 2021 when his fortune soared to rank among the biggest in history.
The Tesla chief executive officer’s net worth is now $147.7 billion, the lowest in more than two years, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk’s fortune is primarily comprised of Tesla stock and options. The automaker’s spiraling shares pose a particular risk for Musk, 51, who leveraged more of his position to finance his acquisition of Twitter in October.
Tesla shareholders have expressed increasing alarm over Musk’s preoccupation with Twitter, which he’s attempting to lead through a messy and public turnaround. He posted a poll on Twitter asking users to vote whether he should step down as head of the social platform. Almost 58% of the 17.5 million respondents said he should.
snip
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