Podcasts about montana skeptic

In Episode 365 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Lawrence Fossi; Lawrence worked as a commercial trial attorney until 2011 and as the portfolio manager for a family office until 2020. He has written extensively about the automotive company Tesla at Seeking Alpha under the pseudonym “Montana Skeptic” and now publishes at montanaskeptic.substack.com. It's been three years since we last devoted an episode to the electric car company Telsa and its superstar CEO, Elon Musk. Given the progress that's been made in EVs in the years since, as well as the recent turmoil at Tesla, Demetri thought it would be a good time to check in on how things are going at America's largest electric car manufacturer. Demetri's conversation with Lawrence revolves around a recent ruling in a 2018 shareholder lawsuit brought against Musk and members of the Tesla board over a pay package worth up to $56 billion. While the details of the lawsuit are especially relevant to Tesla shareholders—and you may be one of them if you're invested in one of the many index funds that own Tesla shares—the spectacle of egregiously excessive executive compensation and the failure of captured boards to exercise fiduciary oversight is part of an alarming trend of corporate corruption that concerns everyone. You can subscribe to our premium content and access our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you want to join in on the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community, which includes Q&A calls with guests, access to special research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners, you can also do that on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed listening to today's episode of Hidden Forces, you can help support the show by doing the following: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | CastBox | RSS Feed Write us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Subscribe to our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and Support the Podcast at https://hiddenforces.io Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 05/21/2024

Montana Skeptic has a J.D. degree from Yale Law School and has practiced for 30 years as a trial lawyer in commercial cases. In the decade that followed, he managed a $1B+ portfolio for a family office. He joins me to talk Tesla.  Subscribe to my Substack, Fringe Finance, here: http://quoththeraven.substack.com Podcast listeners can take 50% off a Substack annual subscription for life by using this link: https://quoththeraven.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=92245385 Contribute a paltry recurring donation via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch One time donations can also be sent via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/qtrresearch QTR merch is available here. You can also follow me on YouTube, and Twitter. THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS.    Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast:  JM Bullion - where QTR buys gold & silver - Twitter: @JMBullion George Gammon - Rebel Capitalist Pro - Twitter: @GeorgeGammon Sang Lucci & Wall St. Jesus — The Steamroom — Twitter: @wallstjesus and @sanglucci Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Mark Heywood - Since 3/2018 Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018 Shear Luck - Since 5/2018   Founding Members Of My "FRINGE FINANCE" Column Kashumba - Since 8/2021 Randy Carder - Since 8/2021 T Gaggiotti - Since 8/2021 Jamie - Since 8/2021 A Farmer - Since 9/2021 Harvest Moon Research - Since 9/2021 John H. H. - Since 11/2021 Mark Hutchinson - Since 11/2021 Joseph K. H. - Since 10/2021 A Farmer - Since 9/2021 Tsniezyk - Since 9/2021 Chris - Since 12/2021 All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers. Please leave me alone.  

The Skeptic joins me to talk macro, energy and, of course, Tesla.  YouTube does not let me monetize my videos on the site and the podcast is full time work which will never have ads in the middle of it. If you enjoy the content, please support the QTR Podcast in any or all of the following ways: A small recurring donation via: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch One time donations can also be sent via: Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/qtrresearch QTR MERCH is available here. You can also follow me on YouTube, and Twitter. And check out my new near-daily column, FRINGE FINANCE, at http://quoththeraven.substack.com THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS.    Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast:  JM Bullion - where QTR buys gold & silver - Twitter: @JMBullion The Doomberg Terminal - Subscribe 100% free - Twitter: @DoomburgT George Gammon - Rebel Capitalist Pro - Twitter: @GeorgeGammon Sang Lucci & Wall St. Jesus — The Steamroom — Twitter: @wallstjesus and @sanglucci Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Nicholas Parks Matthew Zimmer J Mintzmyer - Twitter: @mintzmyer Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  Creighton Titus Camila Sol Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Mark Heywood - Since 3/2018 Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018 Shear Luck - Since 5/2018   Founding Members Of My "FRINGE FINANCE" Column Kashumba - Since 8/2021 Randy Carder - Since 8/2021 T Gaggiotti - Since 8/2021 Jamie - Since 8/2021 A Farmer - Since 9/2021 Harvest Moon Research - Since 9/2021 John H. H. - Since 11/2021 Mark Hutchinson - Since 11/2021 Joseph K. H. - Since 10/2021 A Farmer - Since 9/2021 Tsniezyk - Since 9/2021 Chris - Since 12/2021 All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. QTR is long oil, gold and silver. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers. Please leave me alone.

The Skeptic joins me to talk Elon Musk and Bitcoin, China and his return to being a trial attorney.  Skabooshka Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/ec96ae38 The QTR Podcast is a completely, 100% listener supported podcast that is always going to be free. YouTube does not let me monetize my videos on the site and the podcast is full time work which will never have ads in the middle of it. If you enjoy the content, please support the QTR Podcast in any or all of the following ways: A small recurring donation via: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch One time donations can also be sent via: Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/qtrresearch QTR MERCH is available here. You can also follow me on YouTube, and Twitter. THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS.    Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast:  George Gammon - Rebel Capitalist Pro - Twitter: @GeorgeGammon JM Bullion - where QTR buys gold & silver - Twitter: @JMBullion The Trader's Path - no BS trading service - Twitter: @PLHStock Sang Lucci & Wall St. Jesus — The Steamroom — Twitter: @wallstjesus and @sanglucci Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Nicholas Parks Matthew Zimmer J Mintzmyer - Twitter: @mintzmyer Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  Creighton Titus Camila Sol Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Mark Heywood - Since 3/2018 Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018 Shear Luck - Since 5/2018   All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. QTR is long gold and silver. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers. Please leave me alone.

Skeptic joins me today to talk Tesla's Q2, Skabooshska, Tesla in China and the general unraveling fabric of the U.S. and its economy. The QTR Podcast is a completely, 100% listener supported podcast that is always going to be free. YouTube does not let me monetize my videos on the site and the podcast is full time work which will never have ads in the middle of it. If you enjoy the content, please support the QTR Podcast in any or all of the following ways: A small recurring donation via: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch One time donations can also be sent via:Bitcoin: 3G25NvNbGZsaDfoxTBzRFticKa4LDUeBpkVenmo: @chrisinphiladelphiaPaypal: https://www.paypal.me/qtrresearch You can join my e-mail list here and visit my website at www.quoththeravenresearch.com for all of my content. QTR MERCH is also now available here. You can also follow me on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS. Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast:    Biggest Patron Donors    JM Bullion - where QTR buys gold & silver - Twitter: @JMBullion The Trader's Path - no BS trading service - Twitter: @PLHStock Sang Lucci Trading - the 3LT playbook - also, the SL Master Course  Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Nicholas Parks Matthew Zimmer J Mintzmyer - Twitter: @mintzmyer Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  Creighton Titus Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018    All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. QTR is long gold and silver. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.

A fantastic special show. We spend ninety minutes dissecting the Tesla earnings call with Kacey Green, Patrick Connor, Matthew Klippenstein and special guest Montana Skeptic. Details and arguments abound. It’s a contentious but very fascinating look at the most talked about car company on the planet.

Skeptic joins me to talk about whether or not Tesla could eventually become a Chinese company and some of his thoughts on macro. You can read the articles mentioned in this podcast here: https://seekingalpha.com/author/montana-skeptic#regular_articles The QTR Podcast is a completely, 100% listener supported podcast that is always going to be free. YouTube does not let me monetize my videos on the site and the podcast is full time work which will never have ads in the middle of it. If you enjoy the content, please support the QTR Podcast in any or all of the following ways:   A small recurring donation via: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch One time donations can also be sent via:Bitcoin: 3G25NvNbGZsaDfoxTBzRFticKa4LDUeBpkVenmo: @chrisinphiladelphiaPaypal: https://www.paypal.me/qtrresearch You can join my e-mail list here and visit my website at www.quoththeravenresearch.com for all of my content. QTR MERCH is also now available here. You can also follow me on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS. Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast:    Biggest Patron Donors    JM Bullion - where QTR buys gold & silver - Twitter: @JMBullion The Trader's Path - no BS trading service - Twitter: @PLHStock RumorHound.ai - free 14 day trial - Twitter: @RumorHound Sang Lucci Trading - the 3LT playbook - also, the SL Master Course  Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Chris Boas  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Nicholas Parks Matthew Zimmer J Mintzmyer - Twitter: @mintzmyer Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  Creighton Titus Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018    All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.  

Montana returns for our 21st episode to discuss ventilators, lawsuits, and life beyond Tesla.

GUEST: Montana Skeptic, SeekingAlpha.comPANEL:David Welch, Bloomberg News; Gary Vasilash, ADandP; John McElroy, Autoline.tv

Montana Skeptic joins me to talk about updates from the Skabooshka proceeding, Tesla's autonomous driving claims, and Elon Musk's allegations against him from an e-mail with PlainSite founder Aaron Greenspan.  The QTR Podcast is a completely, 100% listener supported podcast that is always going to be free. The podcast is full time work, if you enjoy the content, please support the QTR Podcast in any, or all of the following ways: Please make a small recurring donation, which is gratefully accepted at: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch Join QTR's GoFundMe effort to stop social media censorship and turn the QTR podcast into a daily M-F show: https://www.gofundme.com/f/qtrpodcast One time donations can also be sent via:Bitcoin: 3G25NvNbGZsaDfoxTBzRFticKa4LDUeBpkVenmo: @chrisinphiladelphiaPaypal: christopher.d.irons@gmail.com THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS   Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast.    Biggest Patron Donors    The Trader's Path - no BS trading service - Twitter: @PLHStock RumorHound.ai - free 14 day trial - Twitter: @RumorHound Sang Lucci Trading - the 3LT playbook - also, the SL Master Course  Focused Compounding - follow on Twitter | YouTube | Podcast HeliBacon - shoot machine guns from helicopters in Texas Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com "Piggly Wiggly" Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Chris Boas  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Nicholas Parks Matthew Zimmer Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018    All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.     QTR merch is also now available here. 

Discussions including Montana's Background, Tesla's contingent liabilities, Elon Musk's "Unsworthian Liabilities", Book Recommendations to become a better investor/thinker, Chances of a Tesla takeover, Need for ANOTHER capital raise Also, an interview role reversal which includes some trading strategy talk

Montana Skeptic joins me to talk ARK's Tesla Model, the sell side shitshow from last week, Tesla's recent financing, the Morgan Stanley investor call, Adam Jonas' change of attitude and the Skabooshska legal proceedings.  QTR Podcasts are always free, but some people choose to make a small recurring donation, which is gratefully accepted: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch   Donations of $100 or more can also be sent via: Bitcoin: 3G25NvNbGZsaDfoxTBzRFticKa4LDUeBpk Venmo: @chrisinphiladelphia   THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS   Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast.    Biggest Patron Donors    Quantamize - visit for free trial - Twitter: @QuantalyticsRes  RumorHound.ai - free 14 day trial - Twitter: @RumorHound HeliBacon - shoot machine guns from helicopters in Texas Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Chris Boas  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Nicholas Parks Matthew Zimmer Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  "Piggly Wiggly" Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018    All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.     THIS IS NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE - OPINION ONLY AND FOR JOURNALISTIC AND DISCUSSION PURPOSES    Disclosures: QTR and  Montana are short TSLA

Montana Skeptic, sporting a JD from Yale Law and more than 3 decades of experience as a trial lawyer, joins me hungover on a Saturday morning to talk analysis of this week's contempt of court hearing against Elon Musk, why he believes Tesla won't even deliver 300k cars this year, whether or not the company will sell equity in Q2 this year, and the company's Q1 delivery number disaster.    QTR Podcasts are always free, but some people choose to make a small recurring donation, which is gratefully accepted: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch   THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS   Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast.    Biggest Patron Donors    Quantamize - visit for free trial - Twitter: @QuantalyticsRes  HeliBacon - shoot machine guns from helicopters in Texas Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Chris Boas  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  "Piggly Wiggly" Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018    All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.     THIS IS NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE - OPINION ONLY AND FOR JOURNALISTIC AND DISCUSSION PURPOSES    Disclosures: MS and QTR are short Tesla 

In this Special Episode of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Ed McCabe about the latest woes plaguing Tesla after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently alleged in a federal filing that its CEO Elon Musk, violated a settlement with the agency when he tweeted in February about the electric carmaker's 2019 production targets. Midway through the episode, the two are joined by Lawrence Fossi, known by his pen name as Montana Skeptic, and the three continue their conversation for the rest of the episode and into the overtime segment. When considering the performance of Tesla’s stock in the face of sober calculations, one cannot help but be reminded of Benjamin Graham’s famous quote: "In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run it is a weighing machine.” For anyone looking to weigh the merits of Tesla’s valuation, he or she would be best served by obtaining a degree in forensic accounting. For anyone looking to understand how or why the stock has remained as high as it has while the company has been busy liquidating assets, shutting down distribution points, and restructuring operations in order to keep the electricity running, he or she will likely need to rely upon the expertise of cultural anthropologists and theologians. The immediate danger for Elon and Tesla is one of insolvency and lifeless demand. On a personal level, it was recently reported that Musk’s banker, Morgan Stanley, who likely holds most or all of his margin debt, extended itself further last December by making mortgage loans on five of Musk’s California mansions. Elon took out $61 million in mortgages: four in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles and one in the Bay Area. The loans, signed in the final days of 2018, represent about $50 million in new borrowing. Considering Tesla’s deteriorating financial position in the face of cratering demand, massive mismanagement, and continued disarray in its manufacturing and logistics operations, it is instructive to know that the CEO may conduct his personal finances with comparable degrees of recklessness and malpractice. If Tesla’s share price continues to decline, Musk will eventually need to post more collateral, which means approaching the Tesla board and asking it to waive its pledging limits of company stock. Assuming the board gives him the waiver and the stock continues to drop, Morgan Stanley will be forced to begin selling collateral to recoup some of the outstanding loan. This could cause the bottom to fall out very quickly, for both Tesla, as well as Elon Musk. As far as demand is concerned, the picture has gone from alarming (going off a publicly available spreadsheet that tracks VIN numbers) to downright nightmarish (the rushed slashing of the Model 3 price). Pictures of lots stacked with ownerless Model 3’s have been circulating on the Internet for months. There is also a theory that the number of Model 3’s being returned to Tesla is much higher than is being reported and that this helps to explain the persistent gap seen since September between the number of Model 3’s Tesla claims to have delivered and the number showing up as registered. The theory is that this is the result of a strategic decision on the part of Tesla to delay registering newly sold cars for 3-4 weeks in order to provide an opportunity to resell the car with a “clean” title to unsuspecting new buyers. On top of all this, Tesla’s list of executive departures continues to grow by the day with the VP of Engineering, the General Counsel, the VP of Global Recruiting, and the Chief Financial Officer among the company’s latest casualties. In short, Tesla appears to be in the midst of an informal restructuring and liquidation process being driven on the fly by a Shakespearean CEO whose personal finances and singularly large ego are so fragile that nothing seems capable of standing in his way. As always, this episode of Hidden Forces is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as the basis for financial decisions. All views expressed by Demetri Kofinas and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and should not be construed as financial advice. Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod

Montana Skeptic joins me to talk about why he "hears the death rattle" for Tesla after the company's bizarre Thursday conference call amidst its reveal of the $35,000 Model 3 and its announcement that it would be closing all of its retail locations.  QTR Podcasts are always free, but some people choose to make a small recurring donation, which is gratefully accepted: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch   THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS   Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast.    Biggest Patron Donors    Quantamize - visit for free trial - Twitter: @QuantalyticsRes  Behind the Bid Podcast - http://www.behindthebid.com/ - Twitter: @behindthebid  Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Chris Boas  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  "Piggly Wiggly Fine Purveyor of Rare Yam Trees" Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018    All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.     THIS IS NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE - OPINION ONLY AND FOR JOURNALISTIC AND DISCUSSION PURPOSES    Disclosures: MS and QTR are both short TSLA   Visit quoththeravenresearch.com for more on QTR 

Montana Skeptic joins me to talk about Tesla's GC Dane Butswinkas leaving on extremely short notice, Tesla's most recent conference call, the company's "broken growth story" and what's new in the world of Tesla's most famous doxxed short seller.  QTR Podcasts are always free, but some people choose to make a small recurring donation, which is gratefully accepted: https://www.patreon.com/QTRResearch   THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY KIND PATRONS   Please show love to those who support the QTR Podcast.    Biggest Patron Donors    Quantamize - visit for free trial - Twitter: @QuantalyticsRes  Behind the Bid Podcast - http://www.behindthebid.com/ - Twitter: @behindthebid  Corvus Gold - http://www.corvusgold.com Scott Coursey – author of “Debt Slave Economics” – view/buy here Investors Underground - day trading community - Twitter: @investorslive  Chris Boas  Ken R  Chris Bede - Twitter: @cbede  Russ Valenti - Twitter: @russellvalenti  Longest Running Supporters   Max Mulvihill - Since 2/2018  Kyle Thomas - Since 4/2018  Chris Bede - Since 5/2018  Dariusz Kordonski - Since 5/2018  Chris Gerrard - Since 5/2018    All podcast content is subject to this disclaimer.    Chris is not an investment adviser. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.     THIS IS NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE - OPINION ONLY AND FOR JOURNALISTIC AND DISCUSSION PURPOSES    Disclosures: MS and QTR are both short TSLA   Visit quoththeravenresearch.com for more on QTR 

A review and update of Montana's 23 point thesis from February 2018.    For information about Montana's doxxing here is a link to a "Hidden Forces" YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnX_Y9lkYGM

In Episode 62 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Lawrence Fossi, known by his pen name as Montana Skeptic. Lawrence is the portfolio manager for a family office with over one billion dollars under management. A graduate of Yale Law School, he has 30 years of experience as a commercial trial attorney. Fossi started writing about Tesla three years ago under the pseudonym Montana Skeptic. He quickly developed a reputation as one of Tesla’s most thoughtful critics until earlier this year, when he was "doxed" and his identity discovered. Elon Musk used this information to phone his boss, threatening a lawsuit unless Montana was silenced. This is the first time that Lawrence Fossi has appeared on camera for an interview on this subject or any other. It was announced yesterday afternoon that the Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Elon Musk, CEO and Chairman of Silicon Valley-based Tesla Inc., with securities fraud for a series of false and misleading tweets about a potential transaction that would have taken Tesla private. The SEC’s complaint alleges that “in truth, Musk had not discussed specific deal terms with any potential financing partners, and he allegedly knew that the potential transaction was uncertain and subject to numerous contingencies.” Steven Peikin, Co-Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, was quoted as saying: “Corporate officers hold positions of trust in our markets and have important responsibilities to shareholders. An officer’s celebrity status or reputation as a technological innovator does not give license to take those responsibilities lightly.” It has been reported that Elon Musk turned down a settlement offer by the SEC that would have included a 2-year ban on serving as Tesla chairman, a fine for both Musk and Tesla, and a requirement that Tesla adds two new independent directors. Musk would not have been required to admit wrongdoing, and he could have remained CEO. In a statement to CNBC, Musk said, “This unjustified action by the SEC leaves me deeply saddened and disappointed. I have always taken action in the best interests of truth, transparency, and investors. Integrity is the most important value in my life and the facts will show I never compromised this in any way.” A statement issued late Thursday from Tesla and its Board states that “Tesla and the board of directors are fully confident in Elon, his integrity, and his leadership of the company, which has resulted in the most successful U.S. auto company in over a century. Our focus remains on the continued ramp of Model 3 production and delivering for our customers, shareholders, and employees.” In their conversation, Lawrence Fossi and Demetri Kofinas explore the insanity that has become the Tesla story. According to Lawrence, Tesla cannot be understood as a business enterprise it must be understood as the new religion of our day. Elon Musk is the minister of this great church and his congregation is deeply faithful. Unless you acknowledge that there is a religious aspect to this where we are saving the earth and we are engaged in a Manichean struggle with these evil fossil fuel companies you are going to have a hard time understanding Tesla. Difficult as it may be to understand Elon Musk and the religious cult that has become Tesla, we must try anyway. There are many lessons to be learned from how millions of people were so easily led to believe that missions to Mars, hyperloops, and electric semis could be commanded into existence by nothing less than the fantastical pronouncements of a modern day carnival barker. As always, this episode of Hidden Forces is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as the basis for financial decisions. All views expressed by Demetri Kofinas and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and should not be construed as financial advice. Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod

Artisan Loaf returns to the show to talk with Aaron a little more about Elon Musk and Tesla.  topics include: @ArtisanLoaf on Twitter, Elon Musk not an original founder of Tesla, Thailand cave submarine, media, stock valuation, money lost, $TSLA stock shorts, Montana Skeptic, oil conspiracy narrative, silencing detractors, threats of litigation, time for Twitter, Henry Ford, car manufacturing, all in house