Twitter Full of Characters, Auto Intel Reporting, Satellite Internet Heats Up

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Tuesdays are for Troublemakers. This Tuesday is no exception as we talk about the implications of a car-guy being the largest shareholder in Twitter. We also dive into Steve Greefields April Auto Intel Report and talk about the breaking news of Amazon’s entry into the satellite ISP space (pun intended). 

• Elon Musk is now the largest shareholder in…Twitter. 9.2% to be exact.
  • 2.9B as of Friday’s closing price.
  • Musk filed a required SEC disclosure for anyone purchasing more than 5% a few days late
  • Twitter surged over investor sentiment in Musk’s influence in the company
  • “On March 25, 11 days after becoming the largest shareholder in Twitter, Mr. Musk tweeted a poll, saying, “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?” He added in a follow-up tweet: “The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.””
  • “Do you want an edit button?”  Yse or On 
  • BREAKING: Twitter announced this morning that it will appoint Musk to its Board of Directors
• Steve Greenfield’s April Auto Intel Report is full of insights
  • Dealer investor group is in full swing, research mode
  • "We had record front-end margins, over $6,500 a copy in a new car for the quarter...we're pressing very hard for them [OEMs] not to bring inventory levels back to pre-pandemic levels….We should be selling cars at MSRP. I mean this industry needs to get away from doing all the negotiating. It's a hell of a lot less complex, much easier, and it brings the right value for the vehicle...I just don't see margins coming back going back to pre-pandemic levels ever. the only thing that can screw this up is if they bring the supply back to the 60-, 70-, 80-day levels that we used to see, I just don't see that happening."- Jeff Dyke, Sonic Automotive President
  • "I need to make more money on the sale of the EV because there will be much less long term revenue from service and parts. I need to see a bigger upfront margin to operate a dealership profitably." Anonymous Nissan Dealer
• Amazon investing billions on launches to provide satellite internet
  • Project Kuiper, Amazon’s planned broadband-satellite unit, has purchased up to 83 launches over five years to compete with Starlink
  • “In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission authorized Project Kuiper to deploy 3,236 broadband satellites, according to a FCC filing. The agency required at least half to be operational by July 2026, or else Project Kuiper could lose the right to send up some satellites”
  • Starlink currently has over 1900 operating satellites and 250k customers

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Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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