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Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the Political Calculus of a Trump Victory | Pivot

October 22, 2024 / 08:30

This episode discusses Elon Musk's daily million-dollar prize for swing voters, election law implications, and the influence of Peter Thiel.

The conversation highlights the legality of Musk's actions, with experts divided on whether paying for petition signatures violates election laws. The hosts mention how Musk's risk assessment may be influenced by the potential outcomes of the upcoming elections.

They also touch on the broader implications of incentives within the political landscape, particularly regarding the behavior of wealthy individuals and corporations in relation to election laws.

The discussion includes references to Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and the potential consequences for Musk if Trump is re-elected. The hosts express concerns about the power dynamics at play and the risks associated with autocratic tendencies in politics.

Overall, the episode raises questions about accountability and the role of influential figures like Peter Thiel in shaping political outcomes.

TLDR

Elon Musk's million-dollar prize for swing voters raises legal questions and highlights political incentives, particularly regarding Trump and Thiel's influence.

Episode

8:30
00:00:00
Elon is uh randomly awarding a million-- doll daily prize to registered swing voters who signed his PX petition
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supporting the first and second amendments federal law says it's a crime to pay people with the intention of
00:00:09
inducing a reward and be cast a vote or get registered the election law experts are split over whether his actions cross
00:00:14
the line see I think this is just risk assessment by Elon they're not going to
00:00:18
come after him and if Trump wins it won't matter uh his iies argue because he's not directly paying for
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registration but for a petition signature it's not illegal it's very typical of him this is a very typical
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risk he would take easily including attacking Dominion systems which I think is probably not a great w risk to
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necessarily take but go ahead finish what you were saying about him it all comes down to incentives and the algebra
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of deterrence the whole point of our criminal justice system is that criminals do the math or when you're
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about to commit a crime you do a math and it's the following the likelihood I'm caught times the potential penalty
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has to be greater than the potential upside MH in certain key factors and components of our economic system the
00:01:03
algebra deterrence is all up and I'll give you a couple very three Stark examples if I'm if I'm meta and I know I
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I sit on top of research that is showing that there is a direct correlation between usage of my platform and teen
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depression and self-cutting and I continue to engage in this or I violate my consent decree and
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I knowingly violate my my consent decree I know that the likelihood I get caught
00:01:33
that delay and the size of the fine are vastly smaller than the upside of continuing to break the law in
00:01:42
taxation all really wealthy people have an incentive to be so aggressive with their taxes because their taxes are
00:01:51
so complicated and the IRS has been till Biden so underfunded that the likelihood
00:01:57
you'll get caught and the penalty are vastly overwhelmed by the amount of money you're going to save they can come
00:02:03
get you and whether Yeah by being incredibly aggressive on your taxes and now let's go to musk who gives a if
00:02:10
it's illegal they're not going to they're not going to put him in jail
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they're not going to say to Trump you're no the the all of our election laws are
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the following lie cheat break the law get an office and then it'll be embarrassing and the election commission
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will find you and they'll shame your election your campaign manager and you're still the
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Senator so the the incentives until they say until there's some sort of com real
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risk that they can shut down for example all your media spending if they say okay
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if if this guy engages in this he could go to jail or the campaign has to stop all media spending like you could get an
00:02:54
injunction if it's really blatant what incentive is there for must not to do
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this yeah I agree I think everyone's like can you believe I was been asked to
00:03:03
be on I was like he could he doesn't care he's not going to pay if if she if
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he win if Trump wins he's scot-free this is a scot-free risk that he takes and if
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he loses she's gonna have a hard time going after him and she probably won't
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right and so I think our our laws especially election laws do not anticipate Shameless like they
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just don't and this is Trump and this is you know as you're saying with the penis
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joke it just I don't think I think think I think a lot of women wof yuck you um
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and I agree with you paying attention to him but I think it brings to question whether he's cognitiv disb and that's a
00:03:41
negative that is showing up on poll after poll after poll is is he Biden too dirty Biden essentially and those
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numbers are showing some real residents we were showing off some stats about that is he too old to and then therefore
00:03:54
you're voting for for for JD Vance who is paid for by Peter teal and musk essentially um so I do think it's a risk
00:04:03
for musk to take and he will take it because he it will be advantaged and if she wins I think he's the risk will be
00:04:10
problematic for him but not not fatal for him you know he'll just he'll just
00:04:16
behave although saying she hates Christians and stuff like that shows that he's really he's also mentally has
00:04:22
some mental problems I think the real quiet winner in this is Peter teal and I think he will take down all of them
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because he quietly he's very sharp he sits behind the scenes he and Elon did
00:04:35
not get along before this by the way at all in a way that was significant so I suspect if Trump wins there's going to
00:04:42
be one ugly there's going to be one ugly fight going on among those people there's about a one and three chance if
00:04:49
Donald Trump is reelected that that he dies in office just based on his age and his body mass
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index that means there's a guy who was a mediocre entrepreneur VC of best served four years in the Marines
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which he should be honored for got elected to Senate what two years ago mhm and this guy is bought and paid for by
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Peter teal it's not his service in the Marines it's not he's a smart guy it's
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not his book it's not any of that there's two reasons that Senator Rance could be a
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heartbeat from presidency and basically the president there's two reasons the
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first is Peter the second is T yep that's the one I'm watching I you know I I think elon's in more trouble in
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a trump presidency than a Kam Harris I think he's got issues in you know Democratic issues of investigation and
00:05:43
Regulatory there is going to be an ugly fight at the top there if uh if Trump wins I wouldn't want to be Trump I think
00:05:50
he's among some very difficult characters I didn't see that that's interesting I didn't I
00:05:57
didn't see that but because the way I see it again it just always in my opinion they're not going to get I'd
00:06:02
love to write a book called incentives I just don't people connect the dots but
00:06:06
here are the incentives and this is what's so dangerous about not immediately having a gag reflex around a
00:06:11
move to autocracy there's greater incentive to support Trump than Harris if you're
00:06:16
famous or you're because here's the thing if you're uh Elon Musk and you
00:06:22
support Trump very very visibly and Harris is elected they're not going to they're not going to your company
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they're not going to put you in jail they believe in rule of law Donald Trump
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is saying if I'm elected I'm going to prosecute Google to the full extent or
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Jews it's your fault if I don't get elected so all of the incentives are
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okay if I root for this clown and he doesn't win I'm okay because the people the other side
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believes in rule of law they're not going to they're not going to go after
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personal precu but the autocrat might come after me I think that is what's exactly going to happen that's exactly
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say more what do you mean Cara I mean I think elon's in more trouble in a trump
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presidency I think he doesn't he's the one who's sort of off um he's got
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obviously some not cognitive issues he's you know he's really lost his mind in
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many ways allegedly um I think teal is pulling all the strings here I just I just Peter teal is quiet and deadly Ela
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musk is loud and he's just reminds me of some of these oligarchs that ended up
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not not living but but the whole point of a democracy the whole point of having different branches of governments and
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and members of Congress and three branches and a military a secretary of defense that comes from a civilian
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background not a military all of these things are meant to put in place checks and balances yeah and we're about to for
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the first time I think maybe there's someone else where essentially you have
00:07:56
one man Peter teal who could literally control the president there is no something something Peter teal will
00:08:05
never hear from a vice president or potentially a president Vance something he will never hear is no ever yeah cost
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him 50 million dollar he's the one I'm watching I'm not watching any it's just
00:08:19
a ridiculous circus of a person and I think it'll end badly for him but Peter
00:08:23
Teal's the one I'm looking at

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Episode Highlights

  • Risk Assessment in Politics
    Experts debate whether Musk's actions cross legal lines, with implications for Trump.
    “It's a very typical risk he would take.”
    @ 00m 14s
    October 22, 2024
  • The Power of Peter Thiel
    Peter Thiel's influence over politics and Musk's risky behavior could lead to significant consequences.
    “Peter Thiel could literally control the president.”
    @ 08m 00s
    October 22, 2024

Episode Quotes

  • The whole point of our criminal justice system is that criminals do the math.
    Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the Political Calculus of a Trump Victory | Pivot
  • This is a scot-free risk that he takes.
    Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the Political Calculus of a Trump Victory | Pivot
  • Peter Thiel is quiet and deadly; Elon Musk is loud.
    Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the Political Calculus of a Trump Victory | Pivot

Key Moments

  • Legal Debate00:13
  • Risky Politics03:09
  • Thiel's Influence08:00

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