1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. He's a money stuff guy. Yeah, 2 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: it'll be great. 3 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: Hello, and welcome to the Money Stuff Podcast. Here weekly 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 2: podcast where we talk about stuff related to money and 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: Elon Musk. I'm Matt Levian and I are at the 6 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: Moneystuff column for Bloomberg Opens and. 7 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: I'm Katie Greifeld. I'm a reporter for Bloomberg News and 8 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: an anchor for Bloomberg Television. 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 2: What are you talking about today, Katie? 10 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: Okay, we're obviously talking about Elon Musk and the results 11 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: of the shareholder vote, the two prong issues there. 12 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 3: We're going to talk about. 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: An extremely messy deal. 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 3: We're talking about the Paramount. 15 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: Skydance deal, and then we're going to talk about mouse 16 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: jigglers and Wells Fargo and getting fired. 17 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 2: Sounds great. He is a money stuff guy. 18 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 3: It's Friday morning in America. 19 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 2: Elon Musk has gotten his money. He has, I mean 20 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: sort of. He had the vote for his money. Did 21 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 2: he get his money? Complicated question? 22 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, TBD on that point. 23 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: So the shareholder vote happened for for Tesla, and I 24 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 1: think it was I think this is the most boring 25 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: outcome actually, So they. 26 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: Had to vote on two things right. One is should 27 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: Helen Musk get his money? And the other was should 28 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 2: they reincorporate to Texas? Right. If they voted against them 29 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 2: getting his money, that would have been like some real fireworks, 30 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: like amazing if you have quit in a huff last night, 31 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 2: who knows. But they voted in favor of him getting 32 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: his money, so he's going to stay. And then I 33 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 2: sort of thought they would vote against moving to Texas 34 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: because my impression was that institutional shareholders like the predictability 35 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:47,119 Speaker 2: and protections of Delaware law, and that Elon Musk being 36 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: kind of a whimsical dude, they thought it would be 37 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 2: nice to have a court that would rain him in. 38 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 2: But no more shareholders voted to move to Texas than 39 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 2: voted for his pay. 40 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean and seventy two percent voted for 41 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: his pay, So the support for the movie to Texas 42 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:01,919 Speaker 1: was broad. 43 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. So this is all driven by the fact that 44 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 2: earlier this year a Delaware court struck down that twenty 45 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: eighteen pay package that he got. Right, So in twenty eighteen, 46 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 2: Tesla gave him a bunch of options that if he 47 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 2: hit some very ambitious milestones, he'd get you know, fifty 48 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: six billion dollars. He hit all the milestones, he got 49 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 2: all the options. A shareholder sued, saying that like the 50 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 2: process of paying him was too conflicted, And earlier this year, 51 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 2: a Delaware court said, we agree, we're taking back the options. 52 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: And so Tesla is voting to give him back the 53 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,959 Speaker 2: options and to get out of Delaware because they don't 54 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: like that. And I remember when I wrote about the 55 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 2: court decision earlier this year, I was like, this seems 56 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 2: kind of wrong, right, Like I'm not like a you know, 57 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: devoted Elon Musk fan here, but like the shareholders voted 58 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: to give him the money. The court decided that the 59 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: vote wasn't fully informed, but it was pretty informed, like 60 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 2: they knew how much money they were giving him, and 61 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 2: like what the targets were, and he hit the targets 62 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 2: and they were happy. So it struck me as kind 63 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: of a weird decision. It might have been in the law, 64 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 2: but it was protective of shareholders in a way that 65 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: like the shareholders clearly didn't want, right, Like, the shareholders 66 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 2: got the benefit of their bargain, which was Elon Musk 67 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: took the company to six hundred and fifty billion dollars, 68 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 2: and this court decision seemed to kind of interfere in 69 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: the relationship between the company and its shareholders. And I 70 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 2: think that's what the vote last night says, right, like, 71 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 2: not only did the shareholders vote to bring back the 72 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 2: pay bagage, but they also said, yeah, we think that, 73 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 2: like this Delaware decision was wrong and we now reject 74 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 2: Delaware law, which I think is kind of an interesting outcome, right, Like, Yeah, 75 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: Tessa is a weird company. It's got a weird CEO 76 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: and a weird relationship with him, and it's got a 77 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 2: lot of retail shareholders who are maybe more inclined to 78 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 2: vote for like a populace to move to Texas than 79 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 2: like the average institutional shareholders. But a lot of institutional 80 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: shareholders voted to move to Texas, and like iss the 81 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 2: proxy advisor said, yeah, you should vote to move to Texas. 82 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 2: So I'm interested to see going forward, will other companies 83 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: copy this, because like I would have thought that a 84 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 2: lot of companies would say, I would like to have 85 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 2: a little bit less shareholder protection and a little bit 86 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 2: more freehand for the board and the CEO. But if 87 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: I actually try to do that, my shareholders will say no. No, 88 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: we want the protections. We see you trying to get 89 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 2: away from a sort of strict corporate law, and we're 90 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 2: going to vote against that. But now the shareolders votedn't 91 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 2: for it at Tesla. I don't know are other companies 92 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 2: going to follow along. 93 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: I mean, it'll be interesting to see what this means 94 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: for Texas. Obviously, the business courts in Delaware are extremely 95 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: well established. Comparatively, Texas is not exactly there, so I 96 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: don't know. Maybe we'll get some precedents sent there. But 97 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: I mean, you made the point in your sort of 98 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: walk up column that if you think about the reasons 99 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: why the twenty eighteen pay package was voided by that 100 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: Delaware judge, there was this idea that the conflicts of 101 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: interest in the board and other details weren't properly disclosed 102 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: and well known. And I feel like with this vote, 103 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: obviously everything's out in the open. 104 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 2: So I think that I read yesterday is that, like, 105 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: so the judge found that in twenty eighteen the board 106 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: was sort of in the pocket of Elon Musk, and 107 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: the proxy didn't fully disclose all of that, right, and 108 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 2: so this this year, this vote, the proxy just discloses 109 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: the judge's entire opinion, like it's attached to the back. 110 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: So if you're interested to know what conflicts you know, 111 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 2: were involved in the twenty eighteen decision to pay Elon Musk, 112 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 2: you can go read the opinion and get like all 113 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 2: of the like the worst case for the conflicts. But 114 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 2: I mean the point yesterday that there are new conflicts, right, 115 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 2: there's all this stuff about Elon doing AI at other companies, 116 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: if at his other companies, if he doesn't get his 117 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 2: money at Tesla. Earlier this year, Elan Musk asking for 118 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 2: another pay package. This is back when he still had 119 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: these options before the judge took them away. He asked 120 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 2: for another big pay package to get his stock ownership 121 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 2: up at Tesla, and he said, if I don't get 122 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 2: another big pay package, I won't be able to build 123 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 2: AI at Tesla. There's that reporting about how there were 124 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 2: like some in Vidio chips that were ear marked for 125 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 2: Tesla that he called up in video and said no, 126 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 2: that sent them to X and said is you know Twitter. 127 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 2: So there's all this stuff about his conflicts of interest, 128 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 2: his threats, his like you know, demands for new compensation. 129 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 2: All this stuff is not really addressed in the in 130 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: the current Tesla proxy and like, I don't know. If 131 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 2: I were a disgruntled shareholder, I'd be writing another lot 132 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 2: suit being like, well there's more stuff you didn't disclose. 133 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: But that said, like you know, as I said, like, 134 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: I think that the meaning of last night's vote is 135 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 2: that Delaware's interference here is wrong and not what shareholders 136 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 2: want and not what is good for shareholders. 137 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: So I do wonder what was on the mind of 138 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: the large retail shareholder base. Not to speak of them 139 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: all as a monolist, but I mean, in many ways, 140 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: this was just seen as a referendum on Musk and 141 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: his leadership of the company. 142 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 3: And the point has been made. 143 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: It's very well known that the retail shareholders of Tesla 144 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,119 Speaker 1: love Elon Musk. They're there because they love Elon Musk. 145 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 2: Tesla has a much more retail shareholder based than a 146 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 2: lot of companies, but like almost half institutional, and those 147 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 2: people voted pretty strongly in favor of moving to Texas 148 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 2: and also in favor of the pay more for Texas 149 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 2: than for the pey. It's an impressive outcome for him. 150 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,359 Speaker 2: A month ago, like he was clearly focused on his 151 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 2: AI stuff at other companies, and five months ago he 152 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 2: was asking for more money from Tesla. I wonder if 153 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 2: this traumatic experience has brought them closer together so that 154 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 2: now he will spend more time on Tesla and not 155 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: demand more money, or if it's like after winning the 156 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 2: vote this week, he will go back to messing around 157 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 2: with Xai and ignoring Tesla. I don't know. I don't know. 158 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: I kind of lean towards the ladder, but what do 159 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: I know? 160 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 3: But I will say. 161 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 2: Too, he's a short attention spatter. I think he's going 162 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: to go do something else next week. 163 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a very strong bare case like that doesn't 164 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: even though we're past the vote, seventy two percent voted 165 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: for the pay package, it doesn't fix the problem of 166 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 1: Musk is distracted. It seems like he has more fun 167 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: things going on than Tesla struggles right now, and you've 168 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: seen all of these big. 169 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 3: Tesla bulls come out. 170 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about Dan Ives at Webbush saying this removes 171 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: a huge overhang for the stock, Tesla market cap to 172 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: a trillion dollars. I don't necessarily know if that's the case. 173 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 2: I don't think Elon being distracted is necessarily a bare case. 174 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 2: I think the counter argument is space Ax, where he 175 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 2: doesn't seem to have a ton of day to day involvement. 176 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 2: There's a professional team running it and it's very successful. 177 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 2: But also it's got the Elon Musk halo, which helps 178 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 2: it like raise money and sort of be high profile. 179 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 2: You could tell a similar story about a Tesla where 180 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 2: like some team of managers run it as a competent 181 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 2: car company without doing weird stuff, and Elon Musk remains 182 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 2: the CEO and biggest shareholder and sort of figurehead, such 183 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 2: that it has a high stock market valuation and can 184 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 2: raise money from retail investors and it's just like always 185 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 2: in the news. That's not the worst outcome for Tesla. 186 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 2: I don't think. I don't know that having him in 187 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 2: the day to day design process for the cars is 188 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 2: super additive. Like I don't know, everyone seems to think 189 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 2: the cyber truck is really ugly and that's clearly his baby, 190 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,959 Speaker 2: So maybe like a distracted but happy Elon is the 191 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 2: kind of best outcome for Tesla. 192 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 1: Maybe I'm just thinking about again, like the fundamentals of 193 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: the EV industry right now, it feels like every single 194 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: automaker has I'm exaggerating, but has skilled back EV production. 195 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: There's this big leading into high where it seems like 196 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: the American driver is also going. Tesla's never going to 197 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: make a hybrid. Maybe I'll be proven wrong. 198 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 2: But it's not. With Elon paying more attention to it 199 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 2: is not going to make it make a hybrid. 200 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: True, true, I don't know. I mean SpaceX is a 201 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: good example, a good counterweight, because it seems like cracking 202 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: the private space industry would be harder than cracking the 203 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: EV industry. So and SpaceX did that, so maybe maybe 204 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: things will. 205 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 3: Be fine at Tesla. 206 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: I guess the point that I'm making is that I've 207 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: interviewed all of these automaker chief executives. 208 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 3: I'm talking to the Kia. 209 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: COO in like two hours. Like the EV market is 210 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: in a storm right now. 211 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, Like the governance is sort of like unrelated to 212 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 2: that much. Elon Musk is not going to fix the 213 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 2: EV market. And I don't know. I mean, like you 214 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 2: can tell the story that like the EV market is 215 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 2: in America is partly politicized, and like that slows down 216 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: adoption and Elon Musk could help you know deeput it 217 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: hiss has EV adoption or politicize it the other way. 218 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 2: But I don't know, I don't really see that, Like 219 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 2: I just I think that at this point, Tesla the 220 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 2: company faces the same headwinds as every other you know, 221 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: EV manufacturer, except that it is only an EV manufacturer, 222 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 2: And Tesla the stock has just the sort of vague 223 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 2: halo effect of like it's the one public way to 224 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 2: invest in Elon Musk, and so it trades at a 225 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: premium because if you like Elon Musk's whole stick, and 226 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: you don't care much about EV's, but you're just like, 227 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 2: how do I buy like the Elon Musk thing? The 228 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: only way to do it as a public investor is 229 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 2: to buy Tesla stock, And so it trades on that. 230 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 2: And you know what particular parts of the Elon Musk 231 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,319 Speaker 2: empire are conducted in Tesla as opposed to at his 232 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 2: private companies, Like doesn't necessarily matter that much for the 233 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 2: for the price of the stock. 234 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: I'm more thinking of, like not him making good decisions 235 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: for Tesla, but him stopping good decisions that could be 236 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: made at Tesla. Like you think about him, what firing 237 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: the Supercharger team and then rehiring a bunch of them 238 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: that wasn't great, Like wavering on plans for a much 239 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: cheaper ev model that wasn't great. That did shake a 240 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: lot of even the biggest Tesla bowls conviction in the stock. 241 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: And then I don't know, the Robotaxi dreams seemed to 242 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: be and the cyber truck too seemed to be like 243 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 1: an expensive waste of money. 244 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 2: We could have done this on yesterday, is the. 245 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 3: Thing, like, yeah, we probably should have. 246 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,839 Speaker 2: We thought that there would be like late breaking news, 247 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 2: but in fact there was early breaking news, and then 248 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 2: it turned out to be true. By the way, I 249 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 2: would have been so excited, like the outcome, I was 250 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 2: really rooting for it. Once he tweeted yesterday Thursday. Once 251 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 2: he tweeted on Thursday that that he had won the vote, 252 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 2: obviously the outcome I was reading for is that he 253 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 2: had lost the vote. I was gonna get sued, but 254 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 2: didn't come to pass. The tweet was true. 255 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 4: That would have fit delicious. 256 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: And now we're back from the ad break we heard 257 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: from our future selves. I think I said last week 258 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: that we're really learning that time is a concept, and 259 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: we're doing that again because now it's you and I 260 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: talking on a Thursday afternoon. 261 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 2: We have traveled back in time to Thursday afternoon. It 262 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 2: was nice Thursday after Again, here we. 263 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 3: Are and we traveled back in time. 264 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, why live in a Friday when you can live 265 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: in a perpetual Thursday. 266 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 2: So it's the this podcast. 267 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: Absolutely let's talk about sky Dance and Paramount and the 268 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: deal that will never. 269 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 3: Be question Mark. 270 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 2: It's pretty wild. 271 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, we have talked about it once on this I 272 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: forget what we said, but now we're sort of talking 273 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: about we're talking about it's obituary because no, not yet, 274 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: at least, this deal's obituary because National Amusement read Sherry 275 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:48,959 Speaker 1: Redstone stopped the deal. 276 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 3: It's not going to happen with sky Dance at least. 277 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. I love it. I love it. It's such a 278 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 2: complicated deal because of a very simple thing, which is 279 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 2: that so jarriets that Amusements. National Amusements owns some movie 280 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 2: theaters and also a block of Paramount stock. Paramount is 281 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 2: like an eight billion dollar public company has a lot 282 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 2: of interesting, you know, TV and movie assets, and people 283 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 2: want to buy it, and Shari Redstone, who inherited it 284 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: from her father, seems to want to sell it. Although 285 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:22,559 Speaker 2: no one's really sure. And the thing about National Amusements 286 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 2: is that it owns around five percent of Paramount's stock, 287 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,839 Speaker 2: but it owns most of the voting stock. Most of 288 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,319 Speaker 2: the Paramount stock doesn't vote, so Shary Redstone, although she 289 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 2: has like a fairly small economic interest in Paramount, has 290 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 2: voting control of her Paramount. So that means anyone who 291 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 2: wants to buy Paramount has to get her approval because 292 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 2: she controls the vote even though she doesn't have that 293 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 2: much stock. But it also means that like anyone who 294 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 2: wants to deal with her, you know, has to pay 295 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 2: her off at a premium. And then the rest of 296 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 2: the Paramount shareholders, if they don't get the same deal, 297 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 2: are going to complain. And that's the problem with doing 298 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 2: a deal here. And it sort of looked like some 299 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:01,959 Speaker 2: I wanted to find a way to overcome that problem, 300 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 2: and nobody did, and the di'll just fell apart. 301 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: It fell apart really quickly too, And it is an 302 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: incredible end because, first of all, this is something that 303 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: Cherry Redstone originally was campaigning for for months, and Ellison 304 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: and sky Dance did switch it around a lot and 305 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: tried to make this work and revise their offer a 306 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: bunch of times, and then just this week it fell apart, 307 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: and there's been a lot of different reporting as to why. 308 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: A lot of people familiar with the matter have commented 309 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: on this to different outlets. The Wall Street Journal I 310 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: found this explanation satisfying that basically they reported that she 311 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: feared potential shareholder litigation over a deal that her critics 312 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: said would disadvantage ordinary investors in Paramount. And this seems 313 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: key legal fees that might eat into her family's fortune. 314 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: That would make sense when you. 315 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 2: Say she was advocating for this deal and then it 316 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 2: fell apart really rapidly. I think that what happened is 317 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 2: that originally Skydance to a shi Redstone and said, we 318 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 2: want to do a deal with you where we give 319 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 2: you money for National Amusements, and then we simultaneously negotiate 320 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 2: a deal with Paramount so that like when we acquire 321 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: National Amusements, we end up in control of Paramount and 322 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 2: we can sort of do the merger that we want 323 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 2: with Paramount. And Shah Redstone is, oh, yeah, it sounds good, 324 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 2: and they offered to pay her a lot of money 325 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 2: for her National Amusements take. But then over time, as 326 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 2: they negotiated with the board. The Board of Paramount wanted 327 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 2: more stuff for the regular public shareholders. Like they said, 328 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 2: if you just give Shay Redstone all this money and 329 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 2: don't give anything to the regular shaholders, one, that's going 330 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 2: to look bad. It's going to be bad for our 331 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 2: fiduciary duties as a board to protect the public shareolders. 332 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 2: But then also like, we'll get sued. You'll get sued. 333 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 2: Everyone gets sued. So what we need to do is 334 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 2: strike a better deal for the public shareholders, and sky 335 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 2: Dances like, sure, yeah, we can do that. We can 336 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 2: take some of the money we're gonna give to the 337 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 2: Shay Redstone and give it to the public shareholders instead, 338 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 2: and then everyone will be happier, except that then Shah 339 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 2: Redstone wasn't happier because they're taking money from her and 340 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 2: giving it to the shareolders. So I think part of 341 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 2: why the deal fell apart is because it's almost impossible 342 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 2: to like just accomplish this, to like do a deal 343 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 2: that is good for Shih Edstone and also doesn't get 344 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 2: you sued by shareholders. And I think she eventually concluded 345 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 2: that she was going to get sued by shaholders and 346 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 2: it wasn't worth it. But also they did try to 347 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 2: accomplish it, but that meant taking money away from her 348 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 2: part of the deal, and that made her less inclined 349 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 2: to do it. Right, if she was getting all the money, 350 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 2: she could pay the legal fees. But if she's getting 351 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 2: less of the money, then like ah, she's thills us 352 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 2: to pay the legal fees. She doesn't want to do 353 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 2: the deal. 354 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: It almost feels like a Golden Shar's situation, which doesn't 355 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: really exist in America, but it exists more formally in 356 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: the UK and increasingly in China. 357 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 4: And it just. 358 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: Seems impossible to have good governance in this type of situation. 359 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 2: This company has always sort of had famously bad governance. 360 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 2: I mean, like, the situation is just bad governance, right, 361 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 2: I mean, someone who inherited the company and has like 362 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 2: a fairly small minority economic interest in it, but who 363 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 2: has complete voting control and can can sort of block 364 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 2: any deal she doesn't like is an unusual situation. And 365 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 2: because it is a big public media company, it has 366 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 2: like a fairly independent board of directors, or it has 367 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 2: had fairly dependent board of directors sometimes who have gotten 368 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 2: in fights with shire Redstone and have tried to like 369 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 2: take away her voting control. And even now, you know, 370 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 2: like I think the impression is that some members of 371 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 2: the board were the ones sort of saying to Shay, like, 372 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 2: this deal is not going to work. You're gonna get sued. 373 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 2: It's not sufficiently you know, detective of minority shoulders. The 374 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 2: other thing is like shire Redstone is worried about getting sued. 375 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 2: One thing that could potentially help is like asking the 376 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 2: other shareholders to vote to approve the deal. So most 377 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 2: apparent Stock doesn't have any voting rights, and so it's 378 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 2: just like, what if the board agrees to share, I 379 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 2: can just share Redstone can just ratify. But she was 380 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 2: thinking about conditioning the merger on the majority of the 381 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 2: non voting shareholders, you know, holding a vote and having 382 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,479 Speaker 2: them vote to approve it, because then if they if 383 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 2: they approve, that she'd be less likely to get sued. 384 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 2: But my understanding is that Skidance didn't like that idea 385 00:17:58,080 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 2: because they're like, you know, we're giving you this money, 386 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 2: want to actually have a deal. We don't want to 387 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,640 Speaker 2: have to worry about the non voting shareholders turning it down. 388 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:06,199 Speaker 3: Well, they have to do something. 389 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 1: This is a company in a struggling industry with enormous 390 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: amounts of debt. But Matt, I have good news. The 391 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: good news is that in a moment like this, when 392 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: your searching eyes are looking for the CEO, the good 393 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: news is that there's not one CEO. There's three CEOs 394 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: in this situation. 395 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 2: I think when we last talked about this situation said 396 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 2: something like having three CEOs is really a sign that 397 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 2: you're going to do a deal really soon, because you 398 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 2: can't just run the company with three cos. But now 399 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:34,479 Speaker 2: here they are. I've got three CEOs. 400 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 1: And I know I love it. 401 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 2: There are some rivers that are going to replace those 402 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,360 Speaker 2: three CEOs with a fourth, different CEO, but he knows. 403 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's sort of this monolith just called the Office 404 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: of the CEO, which is incredible and definitely at the 405 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: time it was like, Okay, this is just a band aid, 406 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: weird situation, holding pattern until a deal is done, and 407 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: maybe it'll go back to being a more typical structure. 408 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: But for right now, they have three CEOs and apparently 409 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: it has a plan for going forward. The Office of 410 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 1: the CEO. CNBC obtained a memo that they released on Wednesday, 411 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 1: saying that they're going to remain open to exploring strategic 412 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 1: alternatives that create value for shareholders. They also said that 413 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: they're going to continue to focus on executing the strategic 414 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: plan that they unveiled in the last couple weeks, so 415 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 1: we'll see. 416 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 2: I love them, they're fighting for their jobs. 417 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: They're really fighting, but again, they need to do something. 418 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: In one of the reports, there's just been so much 419 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: on this, but apparently a special committee of directors recommended 420 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: that Paramount could not continue as a standalone business. So 421 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: something needs to get done here. And then Moody's was 422 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: out this week warning and this was prior to the 423 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: collapse that unless there's some sort of strategic transaction that 424 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: comes along with cost cutting opportunities, basically they're going to 425 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: get downgraded as well. 426 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not a good situation. The impression I get 427 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 2: is that this deal is pretty dead. There was another suitor, 428 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 2: right Sony and Apollo. We're looking at the company, and 429 00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 2: the deal seems to have faded away because in part, 430 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 2: I think because they were never really in with Sherry 431 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 2: Redstone and she, you know, has the controlling vote. So 432 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:07,440 Speaker 2: it's a little unclear what happens next. 433 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: And also in deal talk there's Edgar. 434 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 2: Edgar who's like talking about buying National Amusements. 435 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 4: I think, yeah. 436 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 2: The impression that I get is that as this deal collapses, 437 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 2: the next plan, besides like finding out who the CEO is, 438 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,160 Speaker 2: the next plan is for Shari Redstone to think about 439 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: selling National Amusements is just like a single thing. So 440 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 2: she would just sell National Amusements and then whoever buys 441 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 2: it it would be their problem to deal with like 442 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,159 Speaker 2: the weird governance structure at Paramount and to try to 443 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 2: find a way to impose their will on Paramount, and 444 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 2: like you know, appointed your CEO to take control of 445 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 2: Paramount and deal with the minority shareholders and everything else. 446 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 2: That just wouldn't be her problem. She would just sell 447 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 2: National Amusements and then the new person would step into 448 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 2: her shoes and figure it all out. One reader email 449 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 2: to suggest a really good trade, which is that she 450 00:20:55,880 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 2: should sell National Amusements to AMC, which one's a movie 451 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 2: theater chain and two keeps raising money from Memestock investments, 452 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,160 Speaker 2: and then AMC could sell the Paramounts shares to sky 453 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 2: Dance and everyone could be better off. I don't know 454 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,679 Speaker 2: if that's a viable altern that's. 455 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 3: A pretty good idea. 456 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 2: It's pretty good. We've had an anti trust with with AMC. 457 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 2: I don't know. 458 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: There was one selsid note that suggested this was from 459 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: Luke Capital, that Warner Brothers Discovery should buy it. This 460 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: hasn't been proposed, they haven't shown any interest. But then 461 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: they also said that that's probably not going to happen 462 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: under the current administration. And also you need to see 463 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: Paramount shares go down much more more than they already 464 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: have for it to even be palatable. I just want 465 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,719 Speaker 1: to read this from Walls Fargo. I mean, first of all, 466 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,400 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Intelligence was out with a note saying that Paramount 467 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: is probably in a weaker position than it was six 468 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 1: months ago before this dragged out M and a process. 469 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 2: That's always true. It's always bad to do an M 470 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 2: and a process that hope people walk away. Although here 471 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 2: it's not like it fell apart in due diligence. It's 472 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 2: like it fell apart in weird governance. 473 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, weird governance. But Will's Fargo. Then said the analyst 474 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: Stephen K. Hill, Miss Redstone has created a legacy of 475 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: equity value destruction and this should overhang Paramount's valuation. Given 476 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: her unpredictability, this will add to the long shadow over 477 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: Paramount as yet another misstep. The last six months have 478 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,400 Speaker 1: seen governance weekend, the CEO fired in favor of management 479 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: by committee, likely internal disruption to rank and file morale, 480 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: massive golden parachutes, and probably a lot of deal related 481 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: expensive So Stephen Cahill from Wells Fargo not holding back. 482 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 2: A lot of companies in recent years have gone public 483 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:37,399 Speaker 2: with supervoting stock, and there's always this rationale of like, 484 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 2: there's this brilliant visionary founder who runs the company for 485 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 2: a sort of like long term social purpose and has 486 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 2: not just beholden to the whims of the short term 487 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 2: equity markets, and we want to preserve that, and so 488 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 2: the founder shares need to have supervoting rights, and that's 489 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 2: really better governance and better like value creation for the 490 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 2: long term for public shaolders then letting every share have 491 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 2: one vote. And like this is the sort of degenerate 492 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 2: final case of that, right, Like this is a person 493 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:09,959 Speaker 2: who's not this visionary, but who just inherited the shares 494 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,119 Speaker 2: from the from like the visionary put the company together, 495 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 2: and she doesn't own forty percent of the company shows 496 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 2: five percent of the economics, and her incentives are just 497 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 2: very different from those of other shareholders, and she seems 498 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 2: to be making choices that are not great for other shareolders. 499 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 2: And it's just hard for anyone to kind of come 500 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 2: in and fix it because she controls all the votes. 501 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 3: Do you want to talk about some later? 502 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 2: Fare well Spargo, man, This was. 503 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: An incredible scoot by a Bloomberg News's handle of it. 504 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 2: It's so good. It's so good. 505 00:23:55,480 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: Wells Fargo fires over a dozen for quote simulation of 506 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: keyboard activity. 507 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 2: Matt, I assume they were working from home. Well, it's 508 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 2: untirely clear, like she reported this space on like a 509 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 2: FINRA filing that Wells Fargo did. What it sounds like 510 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 2: is that they were working from home. And so these 511 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 2: are like people in wealth management and investment management. They 512 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 2: were working from home, and Wells Fargo was monitoring them 513 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 2: and making sure that they weren't just like going to 514 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 2: the pool all day by installing some sort of tracking 515 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 2: software in their computer that made sure that they were 516 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 2: like typing at least once every five minutes, or moving 517 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 2: their mouse or whatever. And these people acquired devices apparently 518 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 2: called mouse jigglers. I picture like the you know, like 519 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 2: the bird with water in it that like bobs up 520 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 2: and down and. 521 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: Pecks the keys like the Homer Simpson. 522 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, the Homer Simpson bird, exactly right. And so like 523 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 2: someone is hitting a key every four minutes so that 524 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 2: the system keeps them lied on while they go off 525 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,639 Speaker 2: and run errands or whatever. And Wills Fargo somehow found 526 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:54,159 Speaker 2: out and fired them all saying we don't, you know, 527 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 2: accept any unethical behavior. 528 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, it's just amazing. 529 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: Reading directly from the filing, apparently the staffers, all of 530 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: whom are in the firm's wealth and Investment management unit, 531 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 1: were quote discharged after review of allegations involving simulation of 532 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: keyboard activity creating impression of active work. My first reaction was, 533 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: if we're talking about wealth managers, I feel like they 534 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: should be alcolfing anyway. And then also, the term mouse 535 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: jiggler really sounds like an insult, but it is a 536 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: real device and you can buy it for twenty dollars 537 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: from Amazon. 538 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree with you that. Like, so one, if 539 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 2: they're wealth managers, they should be out on the golf course, 540 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:33,639 Speaker 2: not at the keyboard. But two, like just in general, 541 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 2: making sure that you're typing all the time is like 542 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 2: the worst way to measure productivity and contributions of like 543 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 2: a financial professional. Right. It's like that can't be what 544 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 2: the job is about. Right. The job can't be like 545 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 2: how many keys do you hit in a minute? Right? 546 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 2: There has to be some other form of value add there, 547 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 2: and Wellsvarrio is measuring like the sort of like lowest 548 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 2: thing that could measure, which is just are you hitting 549 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 2: the keys? I mean, what I find most amazing about 550 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 2: this whole situation is that like Wells Fargo has been 551 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 2: here before in like much more egregious ways, which is 552 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 2: that they had like a famous scandal in twenty sixteen 553 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,679 Speaker 2: where they set up millions of fake accounts because like 554 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:15,960 Speaker 2: they had all the like branch employees were basically held 555 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 2: to a standard of like that to open like eight 556 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 2: different products today, Right, So if you came in to 557 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 2: open a check on account, they'd be like, hey, do 558 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 2: you want to add online checking? Do you want to 559 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 2: add a credit card? Do you want to add a mortgage? 560 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 2: Do you want to add a saving Because you know, 561 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 2: if they wanted to open eight different products every day, 562 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 2: and so a lot of people realizing how hard that was. Instead, 563 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 2: we're just doing it like illicitly. By they'd open a 564 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 2: checking out for someone and just slipped them a credit 565 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 2: card without them knowing about it, And I love that. 566 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 2: It's like eight years later, Wells Fargo still seems to 567 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,120 Speaker 2: have this culture of like one using these very crude 568 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 2: metrics to manage its employees' performance, and two having the 569 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 2: employees like game them in egregious ways. 570 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's pretty painful. 571 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 1: I mean you think about specifically the wealth management unit, 572 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: and this has been a focus for the bank, trying 573 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: to beef up their wealth management is it feels like 574 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,399 Speaker 1: a lot of the big banks are and this probably 575 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: doesn't hurt them, but it is just embarrassing and it 576 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: feels like they haven't quite recovered from that twenty sixteen episode. 577 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,879 Speaker 2: People talk about like bank culture, and it really like 578 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 2: all of these stories paying such a bad picture of 579 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:21,160 Speaker 2: Wells Fargo's culture. There's another story a few years ago 580 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 2: where Wells fire fired a bunch of investment bankers for 581 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 2: expensing seamless too early. Yeah, you know, like you could 582 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 2: order dinner if you stay past eight or whatever, and 583 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 2: people were ordering dinner at like six point fifteen and 584 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 2: then like altering the receipts so that it looked like 585 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 2: they stayed later. 586 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:38,640 Speaker 3: It's like, that's pretty bad. 587 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 2: All of this stuff. It's like the most petty micro 588 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 2: management of their people and the most like cynical gaming 589 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:45,680 Speaker 2: of that micro management. 590 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel in some ways like a naive, innocent 591 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: person because I hear that and I'm like, oh my god, 592 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: you can get fired for that, And I think about 593 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:54,919 Speaker 1: my own life. I get a card to the office 594 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: because I get in at six am, but sometimes I 595 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: get in at six oh six am and not six am, 596 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:02,199 Speaker 1: and I wonder if I'm going to get fired for 597 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: expensing my uber But altering your receipts is a different 598 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: level that I wouldn't do. 599 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 2: Right, Like, the thing is, you're not going to get 600 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 2: fired because like, well I shouldn't say that, Like. 601 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 3: No, say it. Put it in the record. 602 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 2: Both you and our employer take more intelligent, long term 603 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,320 Speaker 2: view of what's going on, and like everyone understands that 604 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 2: you're acting in good faith and that the program exists 605 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 2: to encourage you to do the good work that you do. Right, 606 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 2: And then there's the other thing where it's like nickel 607 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 2: and diming people and like everyone is kind of doing 608 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 2: the minimum and like trying to check the boxes. Yeah, 609 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 2: that leads to bad outcomes. 610 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,239 Speaker 1: Well, speaking of things that made me nervous, I was 611 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: searching on Amazon for some of these mouse jigglers on 612 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: my work desk stot and let me let me say 613 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: for the company right now. It was for research for 614 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,719 Speaker 1: this podcast specifically, but I found one cost twenty two 615 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: dollars and ninety nine cents. That price is actually down 616 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: twenty three percent, but more than a thousand of them 617 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: have been bought in the last month, at least according 618 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: to Amazon bills, itself is undetectable. And again, being an 619 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: innocent person, I thought that not a lot of people 620 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: did this, But just looking at how frequently people are 621 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 1: buying mouse jigglers on Amazon, apparently it's still hot. People 622 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 1: are still doing this. 623 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 2: I am very interested in the cat and mouse game, 624 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 2: no pun intended, uh oo, how people are catching these 625 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 2: uncatchable mass jigglers right, Like someone is like building the 626 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 2: algorithms that like detect suspiciously regular mass jigling and like 627 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 2: report it to HR. 628 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: Or do you know, well to that point, can I 629 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: read you some of the reviews? I thought these were 630 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: really illuminating. Oh yeah, this is a five star review 631 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: from June one so recently. They said that it was 632 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: a great little device. But if you're being monitored by 633 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: your employer, it only moves back and forth. So if 634 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: they can see your screen and you want to use 635 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: this to be able to walk away, I would be careful. 636 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: They would clearly be able to see you're not there. 637 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: And then here's a four star review from March. This 638 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: person wrote, at least with my mouse, it moves the 639 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 1: cursor all the way across the screen. So if you're 640 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: being monitored by management, this would not look at all natural. 641 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: These are all Wells Fargo employees, by the way, just kidding, 642 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: that's a. 643 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 2: Joke, right. I sort of assumed that there was some 644 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 2: sort of like algorithmic tracking of like there's some like 645 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 2: a computer system make sure that you're typing every at least, 646 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 2: you know, every once in a while. But like the 647 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 2: idea that the managers just have like a screen up 648 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 2: with like six of their employees' screens and they just 649 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 2: watch it all day to make sure that workers are 650 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 2: working is like even more dystopian than what I thought. 651 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 2: Like that's really grim, Like what why ken't the manager 652 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 2: do some work instead of just monitoring their employees screens. 653 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: Maybe that's someone's whole job, you know, in this bright 654 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: new world that we live in. You're the vice president 655 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: of screen monitoring at. 656 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 2: Wellston right, and then like you get like a big 657 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 2: win when you fired twelve people for installing mat streets. 658 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 2: You're like, look, I've added so much value as the 659 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 2: screen monitoring vice president because I've caught the people who 660 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 2: were just master vision instead of really moving their mass. 661 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: I wonder if that works from home? Do you need 662 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: to be in the office to do that. 663 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 2: We're going to command center of like eight screens. And 664 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 2: that was the Money Stuff Podcast. 665 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 3: I'm Matt Levian and I'm Katie Greifeld. 666 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 2: You can find my work by subscribing to the Money 667 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 2: Stuff newsletter on Bloomberg dot com. 668 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: And you can find me on Bloomberg TV every day 669 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: between ten to eleven am Eastern. 670 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 2: We'd love to hear from you. You can send an 671 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 2: email to Money Pod at Bloomberg dot net ask us 672 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 2: a question, or we might answer it on the air. 673 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: You can also subscribe to our show wherever you're listening 674 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: right now and leave us a review. It helps more 675 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: people find the show. 676 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 2: The Money Stuff Podcast is produced by Anna Maserakis and 677 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 2: Moses and On. 678 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: Our theme music was composed by Blake Maples. 679 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 2: Brendan Francis Nenham is our executive. 680 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 1: Producer, and Stage Bowman is Bloomberg's. 681 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 3: Head of podcasts. 682 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to The Money Stuff Podcast. We'll be 683 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 2: back next week with more stuff. 684 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 4: The Pal