1/ In 2018, Elon Musk backed 2 alum from The Onion w/ $2m to launch Thud! -- a satirical media venture that was to be the start of an "intergalactic media empire."
The venture failed, but created some hilarious projects.
Here's the story...it starts with an Onion article 🧵
The venture failed, but created some hilarious projects.
Here's the story...it starts with an Onion article 🧵
2/ Its 2014, when $TSLA was worth ~$40B.
Musk -- a long time fan of The Onion -- reached out to the team about an acquisition after reading this article.
The deal falls apart b/c Musk didn't want to buy Onion's news business (AV Club) or its ad biz.
theonion.com/we-re-going-to…
Musk -- a long time fan of The Onion -- reached out to the team about an acquisition after reading this article.
The deal falls apart b/c Musk didn't want to buy Onion's news business (AV Club) or its ad biz.
theonion.com/we-re-going-to…
3/ The failed deal doesn't blunt Musk's fandom.
In a Rolling Stone interview, he (prob seriously) says "In order to understand the essential truth of things...I think you can find it in The Onion and occasionally on Reddit.”
He also happily calls them out on Twitter for jokes:
In a Rolling Stone interview, he (prob seriously) says "In order to understand the essential truth of things...I think you can find it in The Onion and occasionally on Reddit.”
He also happily calls them out on Twitter for jokes:
4/ When 2 senior Onion staffers (Cole Bolton and Ben Berkley) left the publication in 2017, Musk offered to back them on a new venture -- Thud.
The plan was take satire from the digital realm into real-world products and brands.
Unsurprisingly, the ideas were absurd...
The plan was take satire from the digital realm into real-world products and brands.
Unsurprisingly, the ideas were absurd...
5/ DNA Friend ("The world's fastest and freest DNA testing service")
The product was meant to compete directly with 23&Me...namely by advertising everywhere 23&Me did.
dnafriend.com
The product was meant to compete directly with 23&Me...namely by advertising everywhere 23&Me did.
dnafriend.com
6/ Ploog (an electric cord adapter that was "the future of sticking things into holes")
One adapter.
Any appendage.
A universe of orificices.
meetploog.com
One adapter.
Any appendage.
A universe of orificices.
meetploog.com
8/ Outside of Elon, Thud had no business model...which became a problem when the billionaire decided to stop backing the project.
2018 was not a great PR year for Musk -- "funding secured", "pedo guy", "smoking weed on Rogan" -- so he decided Thud's edginess was a problem.
2018 was not a great PR year for Musk -- "funding secured", "pedo guy", "smoking weed on Rogan" -- so he decided Thud's edginess was a problem.
9/ As a business, Satire is tough...w/ advertisers weary of edgy content (although, making content for 3rd parties is lucrative)
• First Look Media shut down "The Racket" -- a satirical property -- before it even started in 2014
• The Onion sold for <$50m to Univision in 2016
• First Look Media shut down "The Racket" -- a satirical property -- before it even started in 2014
• The Onion sold for <$50m to Univision in 2016
10/ Elon's affinity for humour (Doge, BTC, $GME) has gone nowhere.
He told the Daily Beast: “It’s pretty obvious that comedy is the next frontier after EVs, space exploration, and brain-computer interfaces.."
He liked this tweet, which means he gets it:
He told the Daily Beast: “It’s pretty obvious that comedy is the next frontier after EVs, space exploration, and brain-computer interfaces.."
He liked this tweet, which means he gets it:
https://twitter.com/TrungTPhan/status/1343202533649612807?s=20
11/ If you to help me build an intergalactic media empire, SMASH THAT FOLLOW.
My other threads:
trungtphan.com/top-trungtphan…
Source: theverge.com/2019/7/2/18701…
thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-want…
My other threads:
trungtphan.com/top-trungtphan…
Source: theverge.com/2019/7/2/18701…
thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-want…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
