[onethought]

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

The Battery-Solar-Car angle is such an obvious integration for Tesla. I guess on paper it is frustrating it was a family connection, but their alternative was for Tesla to start building their own Solar capability when they had a significant stake in one already.

SEC is a joke - chasing Elon is like a weird hobby for them... meanwhile things like 2008 happen and they shrug and go "Sorry, we missed that one"... What's their mission again?

[cma]

Sure, battery solar goes together, but why did they need to specifically buy his conflict of interest failing one instead of another solar company? Because he had leveraged investments in it and even mixed SpaceX into it having them use NASA money to buy SolarCity bonds. Crazy self-dealing and ultimately fraud with the fake shingle demo and claims.

[slownews45]

I wish folks saying they should have bought X company would actually name X company. Seriously - what was the company they should have purchased.

Elon already owned basically 22% of both companies. After they did the stock deal he owned 22% or whatever of the combined company. He already knew the folks / board / management of both companies.

Can you name the company he "should" have purchased?

[onethought]

Pretty sure Solar is a big part of energy generation in Space related stuff.

So I can obviously see the self dealing side… but there is also an equally “it just made sense” side. Do billionaires need to self enrich with crazy side deals?

[cma]

Solar city had nothing to do with space solar, and if they did bonds don't give access to the tech anyway. It was residential (contracted?) install and financialization of the deal and payback terms.