"Later that day, Tripp heard from the sheriff’s department in Storey County, Nev. Tesla’s security department had passed a tip to police. An anonymous caller had contacted the company to say Tripp was planning a mass shooting at the Gigafactory."
Think of how this could have played out under different circumstances. We've already had numerous "swatting" incidents where innocent bystanders were hurt or killed.
The more I see Musk doing stupid pseudo-celebrity stuff like appearing on a kiddy Youtube channel to "review memes", the more I think he's eventually going to go the swatting route one day. He's extremely thin-skinned and responds on Twitter to even the slightest perceived slight.
I can conclusively say that I will never be giving Tesla any of my money.
I can grant credit where credit is due, Tesla did show the world and the market that an electric vehicle can have appeal and doesn't have to look like a glorified golf cart.
But I'm not going to reward them for the appalling behavior of their CEO and/or people acting at his direction in other areas.
I don't understand how we're jumping to the conclusion that Musk is responsible for this. No one seems to be claiming the "anonymous call" was made up, as far as I can tell. For all we know Tripp made the call himself to make himself look like more a victim. It's no less plausible than suggesting Musk made the call himself, or had someone make it on his behalf.
Sounds very Google'y. Seeks out law enforcement over every little thing (they've done) like a bunch of passive-aggressive cowardly nerds. They shit, accuse, and are then magically "scared for their lives."
Bloomberg conveniently left out the reason why "Tripp has since changed lawyers". It's because he published on Twitter a trove of confidential internal Tesla documents. Once he did that his lawyer knew they had no case anymore. Tripp only deleted the documents after his lawyer was able to get in touch with him. This showed that he did in fact access internal Tesla systems and he did in fact exfiltrate this information. But somehow Bloomberg paints Tesla in a negative light, as they always do.
This is what's left of the fallout:
"B advised that the Tweets by Mr. Tripp yesterday were issued by him on his own accord. Mr. Tripp has clearly been impacted emotionally by what $TSLA has done to him.He is very concerned about being gagged & wants to protect the public, more than his own personal interest. ++"
"It is accurate that we no longer rep M.Tripp in any matter.Nor do we have a need for any connection whatsoever with his attys in his Nev civil action.There wont be further comment on this.We still rep K.Hansen with re to his SEC submission & do have confidence in his submission"
"Also Mr. Tripp's Twitter account WAS NOT suspended/removed by twitter this AM. He himself voluntarily terminated his twitter account on advice of myself, so that there will not b any more confusion re if he has published anything or not. There is enough confusion re $TSLA already"
> Bloomberg conveniently left out the reason why "Tripp has since changed lawyers". It's because he published on Twitter a trove of confidential internal Tesla documents. Once he did that his lawyer knew they had no case anymore. Tripp only deleted the documents after his lawyer was able to get in touch with him. This showed that he did in fact access internal Tesla systems and he did in fact exfiltrate this information. But somehow Bloomberg paints Tesla in a negative light, as they always do.
Whistleblower complaints are for obvious reasons typically based on exfiltrated documents. There may be liability against the whistleblower for that, but generally that does not impair the merits of the case against the company (except to the extent the company can use threats of legal action over the documents to keep the whistleblower quiet). And in some cases there are specific legal safeguards for whistleblowers whose complaints are based on confidential documents, especially in the case of public companies: https://www.zuckermanlaw.com/court-rules-whistleblowers-can-...
> he did in fact access internal Tesla systems and he did in fact exfiltrate this information
Both sides can be true. He could have stolen Tesla’s data. He could have also thought he was whistleblowing while doing so. Either way, it doesn’t justify calling in a fake bomb threat.
But somehow Bloomberg paints Tesla in a negative light, as they always do.
No -- they're simply stating the obvious: that the company's unhinged and basically sociopathic response to this incident is much worse than the any "document leaking" that Tripp may have engaged in. Especially when the "leaks" involved have turned out to be apparently quite innocuous.
This is the worst kind of bootlicking. Why are you stanning for a psychopath. None of what you posted means anything regarding the article. It's meaningless sideshow to try to discredit Tripp.
This should be getting alot more attention. Even if Musk gets away with these things right now, this article raises awareness of what’s truly going on, raising the likelihood that future victims will be much more believable, similar to the way the dam eventually burst with Uber.
He gets away because people's attention span is short and they trust good PR and things that reinforce their opinions. So they will take the undeniably good stuff (SpaceX + Tesla successes), then assume everything else that's tacked onto them is also real, any other claim Musk makes on Twitter are real, and the bad press is just enemies and haters.
Also his position and money make him more or less legally untouchable even if his image would be permanently tarnished. This goes for anyone in his position whether they have his good PR or not. Money is indeed a superpower. Just ask Batman.
Edit. Funny how all my comments received the same number of downvotes at almost the same time.
As a person who really wanted Musk to be an exception to the rule of shitty billionaires, this story really is the last nail in the coffin. Way too much moral casuistry you'd have to go through to justify or cast doubt on all of these insane stories.
I wonder if the issue is that most people are just shitty but society acts as a check. When you're above societies rules you can act and do anything you want.
I agree with you that he's not an exception, but at the same time I got a chronic sickness from the air pollution that's caused by oil and diesel car companies, and I know that millions of other people are dying, so I still think that other car company CEOs are even more shitty.
To Antinoro, one of the strangest parts of the situation was that after he told the company the threat was false, it asked him to put out a press release hyping it. He declined, but Tesla publicized the incident anyway.
Antinoro says he’s told his force not to bother investigating crimes at the Gigafactory unless Tesla starts cooperating. Big business, he’s decided, is its own strange world. “Standard Oil was probably as weird as Elon Musk,” he says.
Yep, this is every small town sheriff dealing with someone they believe to be a crackpot. One shouldn't play games with law enforcement.
Umm... shouldn't the sheriff be fired for this? Investigating crimes is his job, corporate recalcitrance is not an excuse for not trying to protect that corporation's employees.
I don’t understand what the story here is supposed to be. By Tripp’s own account, he did gather private information, the information did not itself prove wrongdoing, and he did leak it to the press because he wanted to make Tesla look bad.
I don’t understand what the story here is supposed to be.
Did you catch the parts about Tesla harassing Tripp in a whole bunch of outlandish and basically thuggish ways in response -- ranging from a bogus $167m lawsuit up to apparently lying to the local police about him planning a mass shooting?
He actually, perhaps extremely naively, thought that Tesla would fix these issues if they were public. It sounded like he more or less supported Tesla and what Tesla was doing, but also felt like they were doing things that were unsafe, and did not feel like he was successful in elevating the issue internally.
But I would argue the larger part of the article is not about what Tripp did, but that Elon Musk likely committed a few crimes in response to it.
The fact that this publishes conference telephone numbers, complete with access code and security code, and that none of these numbers changes over a period of 6 months, is somewhat worrying.
In a world where high-paid Silicon Valley executives can grope women and get paid tens of millions of dollars in severance payouts for doing so, I wouldn't exactly bet on any billionaires going to jail any time soon.
I've seen far too many stories where one could reasonably say "this is definitely obviously a crime, right?" and nothing happens anyways. Money is the world's cheat code.
Edit (now that the above post has been edited): I agree that the lack of an unequivocal follow-up to the SuperMicro story -- that is saying neither "we admit we screwed up" or "we stand by the main points of our original story" or even "we need more time to look into this pls" -- is quite troubling.
Still, you have to look at their broader track record, compare them to other outlets in their weight class (nearly all of which, like the NYT in particular, have indulged in many more, and far greater follies). That and the fact that what they're reporting in this particular case is consistent with what we know to expect from Tesla/Musk after various other incidents.
Spreading rumours Tripp is homicidal, or secretly surveilling texts & emails without his knowledge - both alone could be prosecuted as criminal charges. Instead the absolute worst that will happen to Musk or anyone involved is being thrown out of Tesla.
The sheriff "says he’s told his force not to bother investigating crimes at the Gigafactory unless Tesla starts cooperating."
Remember folks, if you wanna be a criminal, start a company first. That way, your crimes become the companies crimes and your jail time becomes a fine! Thats the American Way.
He is not a whistleblower. Shame on Bloomberg for tainting the word. And he destryoed himself, any company would have thrown the book at any employee who did what he did.
He purposely leaked negative and false information of no material consequence to Linet Lopez, one of the top FUD reporters on Tesla at the time. Look up her articles over 2014 - 2017. Her full time job at the time was to trash the Tesla brand.
The "I'm not smart enough to sabotage assembly systems" remark was also proven false. His github and stackoverflow accounts were found and show his as a capable coder who would have had no trouble at all modifying the production systems he sabotaged.
He very quickly deleted both as soon as this came but the posts still exist today.
Elon Musk is a pathological liar who goes full evil against people who dare to question him.
Remember the British diver Unsworth. Or how tried to trigger a short squeeze by lying on Twitter multiple times. He called a respected non-profit media organization an extremist organization" after they did a piece critical of Tesla.
This article is so one sided that it feels like Bloomberg really has it out for Musk. There’s no proof that Musk did this, even though I’m open to the possibility.
I'm going to separate Musk from the other asshole billionairs, for now, because I truely think there's a higher purpose here that his companies are helping bring about. I think his heart's in the right place too. Something happens to people when they become that rich and are surrounded by sycophants. I wish he had respect for his staff and treated them well, same with Bezos but Tesla is more useful to the world than Amazon.
[+] [-] rchaud|7 years ago|reply
Think of how this could have played out under different circumstances. We've already had numerous "swatting" incidents where innocent bystanders were hurt or killed.
The more I see Musk doing stupid pseudo-celebrity stuff like appearing on a kiddy Youtube channel to "review memes", the more I think he's eventually going to go the swatting route one day. He's extremely thin-skinned and responds on Twitter to even the slightest perceived slight.
[+] [-] ams6110|7 years ago|reply
I can grant credit where credit is due, Tesla did show the world and the market that an electric vehicle can have appeal and doesn't have to look like a glorified golf cart.
But I'm not going to reward them for the appalling behavior of their CEO and/or people acting at his direction in other areas.
[+] [-] joekrill|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zmarty|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Mr_Shiba|7 years ago|reply
False prophet, this is why celebrity cult sucks
[+] [-] baccheion|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zmarty|7 years ago|reply
This is what's left of the fallout:
"B advised that the Tweets by Mr. Tripp yesterday were issued by him on his own accord. Mr. Tripp has clearly been impacted emotionally by what $TSLA has done to him.He is very concerned about being gagged & wants to protect the public, more than his own personal interest. ++"
https://twitter.com/StuartMeissner/status/103013836984050073...
"It is accurate that we no longer rep M.Tripp in any matter.Nor do we have a need for any connection whatsoever with his attys in his Nev civil action.There wont be further comment on this.We still rep K.Hansen with re to his SEC submission & do have confidence in his submission"
https://twitter.com/StuartMeissner/status/107295281670310297...
"Also Mr. Tripp's Twitter account WAS NOT suspended/removed by twitter this AM. He himself voluntarily terminated his twitter account on advice of myself, so that there will not b any more confusion re if he has published anything or not. There is enough confusion re $TSLA already"
https://twitter.com/StuartMeissner/status/103013943327684608...
[+] [-] rayiner|7 years ago|reply
Whistleblower complaints are for obvious reasons typically based on exfiltrated documents. There may be liability against the whistleblower for that, but generally that does not impair the merits of the case against the company (except to the extent the company can use threats of legal action over the documents to keep the whistleblower quiet). And in some cases there are specific legal safeguards for whistleblowers whose complaints are based on confidential documents, especially in the case of public companies: https://www.zuckermanlaw.com/court-rules-whistleblowers-can-...
[+] [-] AndrewBissell|7 years ago|reply
- Photos of trailers parked outside the Gigafactory full of potentially hazardous battery waste.
- Photos of shoddy workplaces within the Gigafactory and precision work being done with crude implements like Dremel tools.
- VIN numbers of cars which Tripp believed had been fitted with batteries with possibly punctured cells handled by the defective GF machine.
- Some entries in the accounting system which Tripp claimed supported his argument that waste was not being accounted for correctly.
- Photos of internal emails with Tesla execs (including Musk) where he tried to raise concerns about scrap and the general chaos at the Gigafactory.
[+] [-] JumpCrisscross|7 years ago|reply
Both sides can be true. He could have stolen Tesla’s data. He could have also thought he was whistleblowing while doing so. Either way, it doesn’t justify calling in a fake bomb threat.
[+] [-] thisisit|7 years ago|reply
Remember whistleblowing as an act requires people to produce confidential internal documents.
[+] [-] blueboo|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ucha|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drugme|7 years ago|reply
No -- they're simply stating the obvious: that the company's unhinged and basically sociopathic response to this incident is much worse than the any "document leaking" that Tripp may have engaged in. Especially when the "leaks" involved have turned out to be apparently quite innocuous.
[+] [-] mhermher|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] antiviral|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] close04|7 years ago|reply
Also his position and money make him more or less legally untouchable even if his image would be permanently tarnished. This goes for anyone in his position whether they have his good PR or not. Money is indeed a superpower. Just ask Batman.
Edit. Funny how all my comments received the same number of downvotes at almost the same time.
[+] [-] samirillian|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] AceJohnny2|7 years ago|reply
casuistry: n: the use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially in relation to moral questions; sophistry
[+] [-] burtonator|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] xiphias2|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ncr100|7 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] protomyth|7 years ago|reply
Antinoro says he’s told his force not to bother investigating crimes at the Gigafactory unless Tesla starts cooperating. Big business, he’s decided, is its own strange world. “Standard Oil was probably as weird as Elon Musk,” he says.
Yep, this is every small town sheriff dealing with someone they believe to be a crackpot. One shouldn't play games with law enforcement.
[+] [-] shkkmo|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SpicyLemonZest|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drugme|7 years ago|reply
Did you catch the parts about Tesla harassing Tripp in a whole bunch of outlandish and basically thuggish ways in response -- ranging from a bogus $167m lawsuit up to apparently lying to the local police about him planning a mass shooting?
That's what the story was about.
[+] [-] ocdtrekkie|7 years ago|reply
But I would argue the larger part of the article is not about what Tripp did, but that Elon Musk likely committed a few crimes in response to it.
[+] [-] mhermher|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thinkcomp|7 years ago|reply
https://www.plainsite.org/dockets/3br5tkwuj/nevada-district-...
[+] [-] JdeBP|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] OldFatCactus|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ocdtrekkie|7 years ago|reply
I've seen far too many stories where one could reasonably say "this is definitely obviously a crime, right?" and nothing happens anyways. Money is the world's cheat code.
[+] [-] loceng|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rebelwebmaster|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drugme|7 years ago|reply
Edit (now that the above post has been edited): I agree that the lack of an unequivocal follow-up to the SuperMicro story -- that is saying neither "we admit we screwed up" or "we stand by the main points of our original story" or even "we need more time to look into this pls" -- is quite troubling.
Still, you have to look at their broader track record, compare them to other outlets in their weight class (nearly all of which, like the NYT in particular, have indulged in many more, and far greater follies). That and the fact that what they're reporting in this particular case is consistent with what we know to expect from Tesla/Musk after various other incidents.
[+] [-] brudgers|7 years ago|reply
With the caveat that I find Bunnie Huang credible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Huang_(hacker)
[+] [-] praneshp|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|7 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] zaptheimpaler|7 years ago|reply
Spreading rumours Tripp is homicidal, or secretly surveilling texts & emails without his knowledge - both alone could be prosecuted as criminal charges. Instead the absolute worst that will happen to Musk or anyone involved is being thrown out of Tesla.
The sheriff "says he’s told his force not to bother investigating crimes at the Gigafactory unless Tesla starts cooperating."
Remember folks, if you wanna be a criminal, start a company first. That way, your crimes become the companies crimes and your jail time becomes a fine! Thats the American Way.
[+] [-] yingw787|7 years ago|reply
https://twitter.com/atomicthumbs/status/1032939621636661248
[+] [-] jaimex2|7 years ago|reply
He purposely leaked negative and false information of no material consequence to Linet Lopez, one of the top FUD reporters on Tesla at the time. Look up her articles over 2014 - 2017. Her full time job at the time was to trash the Tesla brand.
The "I'm not smart enough to sabotage assembly systems" remark was also proven false. His github and stackoverflow accounts were found and show his as a capable coder who would have had no trouble at all modifying the production systems he sabotaged.
He very quickly deleted both as soon as this came but the posts still exist today.
His trial is ongoing:
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7244147/tesla-inc-v-tri...
I suspect this article will not age well. Either way it will serve its purpose as a hit piece before Model Y announcement.
[+] [-] ddebernardy|7 years ago|reply
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-protects-whistleblowers-with-new-di...
[+] [-] cronix|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] peteradio|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] RivieraKid|7 years ago|reply
Remember the British diver Unsworth. Or how tried to trigger a short squeeze by lying on Twitter multiple times. He called a respected non-profit media organization an extremist organization" after they did a piece critical of Tesla.
[+] [-] lawlessone|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] imranq|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] flippinburgers|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] vbuwivbiu|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] koiz|7 years ago|reply