Submitted by Colin Marks
Discussants prepared brief papers or summaries in anticipation of this discussion group which were shared. Each discussant began by giving a brief overview of a topic that touches on the exploits of Elon Musk that they wished to explore. The topics varies greatly from securities violations, to the implications of his recent Twitter deal to even the ethical and moral implications of representing Musk. But at the heart of much of the discussion was Musk himself and how he is, for better or for worse, an animating factor in many legal debates. One topic of debate that came up were whether Musk adds value or wealth which got to the very heart of wealth creation and its causes. Another topic that garnered attention was whether the securities laws are adequate and how seriously we should take enforcement of such laws. And even the nature of Twitter was discussed with one discussant asking “what even is Twitter – seriously do we even know?” to which another discussant quickly explained “I can tell you what it is – it’s a button on my phone that makes me sad when I press it.” All in all the discussion was free-wheeling, lively but also respectful.