Elon Musk takes the witness stand to defend his Tesla buyout tweets
NPR Online NewsMAR 25 2023
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Elon Musk's tweets were fraudulent in nature — he intentionally posted untrue information in an attempt to squeeze investors who had bet against the company. Musk acted and continues to act recklessly and needs to be held accountable for his actions, especially in this case as his irresponsibility lost investors their money.
Establishment-critical narrative
Musk's tweet was not fraudulent — he had no ill intent and simply wanted to inform shareholders of his plans at the time. Musk knew he could use his own wealth and involvement in SpaceX to take Tesla private if he needed to. Musk does not deserve to be penalized just because the deal didn't go through.