Tech
Tesla Short Sellers Lose $3.5 Billion in Two Days After Deliveries Report
Tesla’s better-than-expected deliveries report has caused significant losses for traders betting against the electric vehicle maker’s stock. Following the second-quarter report, Tesla shares surged by 17% over two trading days, resulting in an estimated $3.5 billion in mark-to-market losses for short sellers, according to data from S3 Partners.
The recent surge in Tesla’s stock price has compounded the challenges faced by short sellers, with Tesla shares climbing 73% since hitting their yearly low in April. On Wednesday, Tesla’s stock closed at $246.39, nearly recovering its year-to-date losses.
Tesla reported second-quarter deliveries of 443,956 vehicles, surpassing Wall Street’s estimate of 439,000. While this represents a 4.8% decline from the previous year, it is an improvement over the 8.5% year-over-year drop in the first quarter. Despite the sales decline and increasing competition, the report suggests that demand for Tesla vehicles remains strong.
The deliveries report, however, provides only a limited view of Tesla’s overall performance. The company has been offering incentives such as discounts and low-interest financing to boost sales amid an aging lineup and heightened competition. The launch of Tesla’s newest model, the Cybertruck, has been slow, plagued by quality issues leading to four voluntary recalls in the U.S. within a year.
Tesla’s upcoming earnings report, due later this month, will offer more insight into the company’s financial health. Analysts expect a 2.9% revenue decline to $24.2 billion, following a 9% drop in the first quarter.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose net worth increased by approximately $15 billion over the past two days, celebrated the short sellers’ losses. Musk also targeted Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who has a history of shorting Tesla stock. Musk stated on X (formerly Twitter) that short sellers would be “obliterated” once Tesla solves autonomy and mass-produces its Optimus robot.
Despite these developments, Tesla continues to face challenges in its core automotive business. The company frequently updates its in-vehicle software, with recent enhancements including YouTube, Amazon Music, and weather apps for drivers. However, Tesla has yet to deliver software capable of making its cars fully self-driving.
Tech
OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Announces Departure After 6 Years
OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, has announced her departure from the company after six and a half years. In a memo shared on X, Murati expressed that she had made the “difficult decision” to step away from OpenAI, citing her desire for personal exploration and reflection.
“There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right,” Murati wrote, emphasizing her commitment to ensuring a smooth transition for the company during this critical time.
Her exit follows other high-profile departures from the company, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever and former safety leader Jan Leike in May, as well as co-founder John Schulman, who left last month to join rival company Anthropic.
Murati’s departure comes at a time when OpenAI is pursuing a new funding round, potentially valuing the company at over $150 billion, with significant investments anticipated from major players like Thrive Capital, Microsoft, and Nvidia. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has seen rapid growth since 2022 but has also faced internal controversies and employee turnover, sparking concerns about its ability to scale safely.
Murati became a public figure when she was appointed interim CEO last November after the abrupt ousting of CEO Sam Altman. Despite her departure, she remains focused on supporting OpenAI’s momentum in the coming months.
Tech
CrowdStrike Exec Apologizes to US Lawmakers for July IT Outage
During a congressional hearing, CrowdStrike executive Adam Meyers issued a formal apology for the massive IT outage in July, which affected millions of computers globally. In his opening remarks, Meyers expressed deep regret, stating, “On behalf of everyone at CrowdStrike, I want to apologize. We are deeply sorry this happened and are determined to prevent it from happening again.”
Meyers assured lawmakers that the company is committed to learning from the incident and making significant improvements. This includes enhancing testing and checks on updates, as well as altering how future updates are issued to avoid similar disruptions.
Tech
Caroline Ellison May Avoid Jail Time for Role in FTX Scandal
Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research and key witness in the criminal case against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, faces sentencing this Tuesday. Despite her involvement in the massive fraud that led to FTX’s collapse, Ellison may avoid significant jail time due to her cooperation with federal authorities.
Ellison admitted to defrauding investors and misappropriating billions of dollars from FTX customers, redirecting funds to Alameda’s speculative trading and debt repayment. Both Ellison and Bankman-Fried face the same serious charges, which carry a potential maximum sentence of 110 years. However, her cooperation with prosecutors has been deemed “extraordinary,” leading the federal Probation Department to recommend “time served” with three years of supervised release.
Her testimony was crucial in portraying Bankman-Fried’s role in the collapse, particularly due to their close personal relationship. This unique insight into his operations helped strengthen the government’s case. While Ellison was involved in fraudulent activities, legal experts believe her lesser control compared to Bankman-Fried will likely result in a lighter sentence, potentially no more than 18 months in prison.
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