Wait a second! Capone was never charged with murder! He did nothing wrong!

That’s not even abuse of authority - they’re investigating credible information that crimes have been committed. That’s literally supposed to be their primary function. It’s like this guy is mad that they went after Escobar, not because he wasn’t guilty, but because he used to throw really cool parties that everyone…

I’m sorry but this is too much.  I’m wondering if anyone will read the whole thing. 

I’m a nihilist laissez-faire capitalist, and short sellers are just people buying something on the financial markets. A short seller does nothing to help or damage a company, any more than someone betting black ar the roulette table damages the people betting red, or the wheel itself for that matter.

So loosely translated, he’s an unemployed motorcycle enthusiast who sells homemade crap on the side of the road.

That argument was soundly rejected in Roe v Wade :-)

I think it’s as much their unbreakable infatuation with Musk. Their lack of understanding of the stock market doesn’t even come into play. A negative story about Musk is printed, and they start frothing.

An amazing amount of people here don’t understand how short sales work and love Elon Musk so much they are completely willing to overlook serious securities fraud.

The commentariat’s animus against shorting is irrational and naive. Do you think people should be allowed to sell their long positions? Why? The seller is betting the stock will go down. Do you think people shouldn’t be allowed to sell borrowed securities that they’ve promised to return later? That’s what you do…

You have to put up collateral to short sell stocks champ.

I agree, Musk shouldn’t have gambled that $420 a share he potentially didn’t have on hand by bluffing about taking the company private, and I also agree he shouldn’t be attempting to illegally manipulate the market in shady ways. 

You sound like a Trump fan, insisting that Dear Leader is doing a great job, no matter what happens. “Short sellers” is Musk’s version of Trump’s “Fake news media.” A convenient boogeyman to complain about anytime things go wrong.

Right is right and wrong is wrong. You’re willing to overlook Musk’s possible illegal actions because of your disdain for short sellers. Its people like you who don’t want to apply the law and ethics equally, when it’s not convenient to you, is why our society is going to shit. 

Even if Musk is breaking the law to do so? And will ultimately damage the company in the future by insuring massive fines and lawsuits?! Just to "own the shorts?" What the fuck is wrong with people like you.

If Musk lied about funding being secured at $420, that is market manipulation and illegal. Whatever your thought on investing in companies, it's illegal for the owner of the company to straight up lie to up the stock price.

The screwing over part is fine. It's the lie that's a problem. 

Please explain how short selling screws over a company. Sounds more like that you don’t know how a short selling or the stock market works.

Short-selling is nothing more than predicting a stock will go down rather than up.

I have made small amounts of money by short selling in cases where the CEO and board have manipulated the stock price upwards in an unsustainable manner. I could see that the stock price would eventually tank.

Even if Musk secures the financing later, he’s open to plenty of lawsuits like this one on top of the SEC violations he’s being investigated for.