Judge Lets Blade Runner 2049 Copyright Suit Against Elon Musk and Tesla Move Forward; Reason, February 6, 2026

JACK NICASTRO, Reason; Judge Lets Blade Runner 2049 Copyright Suit Against Elon Musk and Tesla Move Forward

"Wu's ruling will set a precedent for copyright holders to sue anyone whom they assume illegally copied their intellectual property to create something entirely unmistakable for it because the cases will be less likely to be dismissed. This means an increase in the expected cost of using generative AI—litigation is expensive—and a corresponding decrease in creative, productive uses of this revolutionary technology."

Epstein files show Elon Musk apparently discussed plans to visit sex offender’s island, host him at SpaceX; CNBC, January 30, 2026

Lora Kolodny, CNBC; Epstein files show Elon Musk apparently discussed plans to visit sex offender’s island, host him at SpaceX

"A cache of newly released documents from the Epstein files on Friday showed Elon Musk apparently corresponded with the convicted sex offender in 2012 and 2013, as they discussed meeting at Jeffrey Epstein’s private island and at Musk’s SpaceX facility in Southern California. 

The emails indicate Musk asked about attending the “wildest party,” hosted by Epstein at his island. 

Musk, who serves as CEO of  Tesla and SpaceX, has for years downplayed his connection to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody...

In June of last year, Musk wrote in a post on X, that he thought President Donald Trump and his administration were withholding Epstein-related files from the public view in order to protect the president’s reputation.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk, who was in the midst of a public spat with the president, wrote at the time. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

Merry boycotting: US shoppers avoid Trump-aligned businesses amid holiday season; The Guardian, December 20, 2025

 Rachel Leingang , The Guardian; Merry boycotting: US shoppers avoid Trump-aligned businesses amid holiday season

"It’s the busiest shopping season of the year – and a time when many are trying to figure out where to ethically spend their money.

Over the first year of Trump’s second term, companies and institutions have fallen in line with the administration’s anti-DEI and anti-immigration policies. As a result, people are supporting economic boycotts to show their discontent with the businesses capitulating to the president.

Over the Black Friday weekend, the groups behind the No Kings protests – the largest days of mass protest in recent memory – put their weight behind a campaign called We Ain’t Buying It, calling on people to not shop at Target, Home Depot and Amazon during the marquee week of holiday deals.

More than 220 organizations joined We Ain’t Buying It, the coalition said. The campaign reached millions of Americans, driving more than 40,000 to take a pledge to be a conscious consumer. Signs also point to people spending their money at smaller companies instead. Little Blue Cart, a directory of progressive small businesses, saw record-breaking traffic during the campaign period, the coalition said."

Musk Wins $1 Trillion Pay Package, Creating Split Screen on Wealth in America; The New York Times, November 6, 2025

 Rebecca F. ElliottJack Ewing and Reid J. Epstein, The New York Times; Musk Wins $1 Trillion Pay Package, Creating Split Screen on Wealth in America

"Tesla shareholders on Thursday approved a plan that could make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire, two days after New Yorkers elected a tax-the-rich candidate as their next mayor.

These discrete moments offered strikingly different lessons about America and who deserves how much of its wealth.

At Tesla, based in the Austin, Texas, area, shareholders have largely bought into a winner-takes-all version of capitalism, agreeing by a wide margin to give Mr. Musk shares worth almost a trillion dollars if the company under his management achieves ambitious financial and operational goals over the next decade.

But halfway across the country, in the home to Wall Street, Zohran Mamdani’s victory served as a reminder of the frustrations many Americans have with an economic system that has left them struggling to afford basics like food, housing and child care."

‘We’re in big trouble’: pope concerned at Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar proposed pay; The Guardian, September 15, 2025

 Angela Giuffrida, The Guardian ; ‘We’re in big trouble’: pope concerned at Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar proposed pay

[Kip Currier: Kudos to Pope Leo for speaking to the issue of ever-widening income gaps between the super rich and everyone else, especially billions of fellow human beings who are economically impoverished and in dire need of basic survival necessities, like food, water, shelter, and healthcare.

With massive levels of human need and suffering in this world, to even consider compensating one of the world's very richest persons (the distinction of richest person on Earth recently went to Oracle's Larry Ellison on September 10, 2025 before Musk reclaimed the title) with a trillion-dollar pay package smacks of abject ethical bankruptcy.

The proposal is even more galling when one considers the past year's Trump 2.0 Musk-supported DOGE-slashing of U.S. governmental services that address food scarcity, healthcare needs, and countless programs that benefit and provide safety nets for vulnerable populations, like the elderly, disabled persons, and veterans.]

[Excerpt]

"Pope Leo said “we’re in big trouble” when it comes to the ever-widening pay gap between the rich and poor, citing Elon Musk, who may be on course to become the world’s first trillionaire.

Leo made the remarks while criticising executive pay packages during his first interview with the media.

Reflecting on why the world was so polarised, he said one significant factor was the “continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive”.

“CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving … 600 times more [now],” the pontiff said in excerpts of the interview conducted by Elise Ann Allen, a senior correspondent with the Catholic newspaper Crux as part of a forthcoming biography.

“Yesterday [there was] the news that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world. What does that mean and what’s that about? If that is the only thing that has value any more, then we’re in big trouble.”

Earlier this month, the board of the electric car maker Tesla said it had proposed a new trillion-dollar pay package for Musk, its chief executive and largest shareholder, if he hit targets set by the company."

Top ethics and compliance failures of 2018; Compliance Week, December 17, 2018

Jaclyn Jaeger, Compliance Week; Top ethics and compliance failures of 2018

"Shady data privacy practices, allegations of financial misconduct, and widespread money-laundering schemes make up Compliance Week’s list of the top five ethics and compliance failures of 2018. All impart some key compliance lessons."

Elon Musk Details ‘Excruciating’ Personal Toll of Tesla Turmoil; The New York Times, August 16, 2018

David Gelles, James B. Stewart, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Kate Kelly, The New York Times; Elon Musk Details ‘Excruciating’ Personal Toll of Tesla Turmoil

"Mr. Musk said that “to the best of my knowledge,” there is “no active search right now.” But people familiar with the matter said a search is underway, and one person said it had intensified in the wake of Mr. Musk’s tweets. 

[The Tesla board “now must ask a sensitive but vital question,” our columnist writes. “What was Mr. Musk’s state of mind” when he tweeted?] 

In response to questions for this article, Tesla provided a statement that it attributed to its board, excluding Elon Musk. “There have been many false and irresponsible rumors in the press about the discussions of the Tesla board,” the statement said. “We would like to make clear that Elon’s commitment and dedication to Tesla is obvious. Over the past 15 years, Elon’s leadership of the Tesla team has caused Tesla to grow from a small start-up to having hundreds of thousands of cars on the road that customers love, employing tens of thousands of people around the world, and creating significant shareholder value in the process.”

Mr. Musk said he had no plans to relinquish his dual roles as chairman and chief executive.

But, he added, “if you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know. They can have the job. Is there someone who can do the job better? They can have the reins right now.”"

Elon Musk quits AI ethics research group; BBC, February 22, 2018

BBC; Elon Musk quits AI ethics research group

"Technology billionaire Elon Musk has quit the board of the research group he co-founded to look into the ethics of artificial intelligence.

In a blog post, OpenAI said the decision had been taken to avoid any conflict of interest as Mr Musk's electric car company, Tesla, became "more focused on AI".

He has been one of AI's most vocal critics, stressing the potential harms."