# How does someone with no business acumen get to be the richest person in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903 "2022-11-14T19:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/41 "2022-11-15T06:08:47Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > So yeah, if you really think you have to destroy the village in order to save it, do it in the most graduated method you can. It sounds like Twitter’s infrastructure may need a bit of help: [![](https://i.redd.it/asm6pcmy010a1.png) ](https://i.redd.it/asm6pcmy010a1.png) I guess they _were_ taking Musk’s philosophy to heart back then. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/42 "2022-11-15T06:15:29Z")
No they won’t. For example Musk has basically decided to eliminate content moderation. I am not talking here about the policies for which changes are not yet clear, but rather that he has fired the vast bulk of the people (both regular staff and contract moderators) who actually do the moderation. 85% of revenue is advertising; and this is resulting in a truly massive decline in brand advertising by the big corporate advertisers. And the massive amount of hate posts, etc will cause a very large number of users to leave. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/43 "2022-11-15T06:47:45Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > It sounds like Twitter’s infrastructure may need a bit of help: Twitter’s infrastructure was already a mess before Elon bought it. Peter Zatko aka mudge provided Senate testimony over [just how messed up](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/13/twitter-whistleblower-testimony-congress-peiter-zatko) Twitter’s engineering practices were as of 2020. There was no staging environment, half the servers weren’t getting security updates and there were known state sponsored spies working inside of the company. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/44 "2022-11-15T10:59:53Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > Musk simps will handwave away any mistakes he makes. Incorrect — they will argue that any such transparently stupid actions are in fact secretly brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/45 "2022-11-15T11:15:14Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > It showcases Sam Bankman-Fried. A few weeks ago Sam Bankman-Fried was a billionaire. Peak worth of 26 billion at the age of 30. > > The company he was CEO of, FTX, was the talk of the town. Until it wasn’t. The value of the company, as of yesterday, is now zero. The same for Mr Bankman-Fried. Why do I have a mental image of him looking for help from the people who benefited from his generosity, getting blown off, and becoming a misanthropic hermit a la _Timon of Athens_? > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Name another approach Oo! Oo! Mistah Kottah! You try removing pieces _on a testbed_, not the public-facing operational system. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/46 "2022-11-15T14:03:08Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The stock was delisted when he took it private. The last listing I found was for $53.91. If the company doesn’t go completely belly-up he’ll do a public tender and laugh in everyone’s face when the stock rises even more. You realize people were buying at that prize because it was close to certain they’d then profit from Musk’s buyout at $54.20, and that the, presumably rather few towards the end, people selling were locking in their profit just in case the buyout ran into an iceberg? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/47 "2022-11-15T19:23:11Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > If on the other hand there is a directive that some failures are expected, then simplification can happen. This may be true. However, that is all about the technical platform and not how Twitter runs as a business. Streamlining the tech is, at best, going to reduce some costs. Nothing can make up for your advertisers walking out the door. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/48 "2022-11-15T19:31:21Z")
But if you let all of the advertisers leave then you can figure out which ones were really the important ones. This is Engineering 101. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/49 "2022-11-15T20:13:46Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > You try removing pieces _on a testbed_ [![](https://www.flagship.io/wp-content/uploads/test-in-production-meme-2.jpg) ](https://www.flagship.io/wp-content/uploads/test-in-production-meme-2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/50 "2022-11-15T20:32:44Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > why are you imagining the stupidest, most arrogant man on the planet actually did? Now that is just inane hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/51 "2022-11-15T20:33:47Z")
I wonder if there really is a full-fidelity copy of the entire range of Twitter infrastructure for testing? Once you get a big enough rat’s nest of dependencies (whether of microservices or any other architectural approach) the only way to know for 100% certain what effect a change in production will actually have is to actually try it in production. But as argued earlier today by some other posters, it’s smarter to do these sorts of radical tests in production the week _before_ you lay off half your staff, not the week _after_. Your time-to-repair will be a LOT better that way. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/52 "2022-11-15T20:39:22Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > What I hadn’t heard or read was that Twitter is in an unrecoverable death spiral. Yet here in this thread, people are posting like Twitter went belly-up five years ago or something. Like talking in the now about Myspace or Friendster. I thought the same thing. Look, I only use Twitter to get info about local wildfires that may get too close, so I am by no means a big time user. But altho people have decried doom and gloom, is it not better to wait and see? I realize Musk is the dude many “love to hate”, but … ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/53 "2022-11-15T20:44:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But altho people have decried doom and gloom, is it not better to wait and see? I realize Musk is the dude many “love to hate”, but … - When you see an avalanche coming down the slope in your direction… ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/54 "2022-11-15T20:52:57Z")
I feel for the people who are going to be affected in terms of livelihood as a result of this takeover, but as a non-user of Twitter I don’t think I’ve had a moment of schadenfreude as pure as the feeling I have watching Musk fuck this up so spectacularly. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/55 "2022-11-15T21:00:15Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > When you see an avalanche coming down the slope in your direction… “The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote." - Kosh ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/56 "2022-11-15T22:38:32Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Now that is just inane hyperbole. …hyperbole? Really? Ya mean, Musk is not literally the stupidest, most arrogant man on the planet? He’s just really really stupid, and also really really arrogant? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/57 "2022-11-15T22:50:18Z")
Musk isn’t stupid. Everyone makes mistakes. I also wonder if people look at the business of Twitter from too much of a US centric point of view. Is there value in owning a platform like that with the data it holds that can be exploited globally? Let’s say that Twitter’s value dropped to zero. Musk would still be worth over 100 billion dollars. That’s not doing too bad. I think one of the things that magnifies the apparent smartness or stupidity of the decisions is just the sheer scope of the number of dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/58 "2022-11-15T22:50:44Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Musk isn’t stupid. …disagree. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/59 "2022-11-15T22:51:24Z")
Based on the Twitter purchase? What were your opinions before that? It’s doubtful he has an IQ sub 80. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/60 "2022-11-15T22:52:35Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Based on the Twitter purchase? …based on everything he has said and done since I first ever heard of him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903.md?page=4)