• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

Elon Musk Has an SEC-Mandated Twitter Sitter to Control His Communications. It’s Not Going Well

By
Dana Hull
Dana Hull
,
Ben Bain
Ben Bain
, and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Dana Hull
Dana Hull
,
Ben Bain
Ben Bain
, and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 26, 2019, 5:01 PM ET

It’s a mystery: Who, exactly, is Elon Musk’s Twitter Sitter? And what the heck is he or she thinking?

Tesla has declined to identify the in-house lawyer who is supposed to watch over Musk’s prodigious—and legally contentious—tweeting habits. Now that the billionaire is once again courting trouble with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission via Twitter, the question of who, if anyone, can reel him in has taken on new urgency.

“It’s the most unique job in the world,” said Gene Munster, managing partner at the venture capital firm Loup Ventures. Considering that Musk shows no sign of backing down even after the SEC asked a judge Monday to hold the Tesla chief executive officer in contempt of court, “it adds a layer of complexity to this person’s job.”

The terms of a settlement with the SEC last year require that Musk get approval before communicating material information to investors. His social-media minder didn’t bless a Feb. 19 tweet that boasted the electric-car maker would produce 500,000 vehicles this year.

The sitter—whose official title at Tesla is alternately Disclosure Counsel or Designated Securities Counsel—did step in after seeing the offending tweet, arranging to meet Musk to draft a clarifying post. That one went out to his 24 million followers four hours after the first one, saying that, really, deliveries would reach about 400,000, a number in line with the one the company has used in formal disclosures.

The SEC wasn’t mollified. It issued the contempt-of-court request, arguing the first post breached last year’s agreement, which settled claims that Musk misled investors with tweets about taking the company private. Tesla’s attorneys contend what he wrote just echoed what had already been said on an earnings call.

Musk took to Twitter to back up that position, saying the SEC had failed to read the transcript of that call and adding, “How embarrassing…” In another post, he piled on: “Something is broken with SEC oversight.”

U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan told Musk on Tuesday to file a brief responding to the contempt-of-court request by March 11.

An outside lawyer for Tesla, Bradley Bondi, has already defended the CEO, and the sitter, to the SEC.

“The Designated Securities Counsel continually monitors Mr. Musk’s tweets,” he wrote to the agency. “Upon seeing the 7:15 PM EST tweet, the Designated Securities Counsel immediately arranged to meet with Mr. Musk at the Fremont factory. Mr. Musk and the Designated Securities Counsel together drafted a clarifying tweet.”

So anyway, who is this sitter? There was speculation that Dane Butswinkas, Tesla’s recently departed general counsel, had the gig, though that seems unlikely. The agreement with the SEC never specified that the person had to be the general counsel, just an experienced securities lawyer. In any event, Butswinkas left on Feb. 20, and Monday’s filing by the SEC suggests the person is a current employee.

The agency knows who it is, but isn’t saying. Natalie Strom, a spokeswoman for SEC Chairman Jay Clayton, said the regulator had no comment on the case beyond what was in Monday’s court filing.

About the Authors
By Dana Hull
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Ben Bain
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Markets are jittery as the global oil crisis bleeds into a global debt selloff, while Trump weighs new military options on Iran
EnergyOil
Markets are jittery as the global oil crisis bleeds into a global debt selloff, while Trump weighs new military options on Iran
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
3 hours ago
CDC to escalate Ebola response after WHO declares emergency
HealthHealth
CDC to escalate Ebola response after WHO declares emergency
By Jessica Nix and BloombergMay 17, 2026
3 hours ago
Four crew members ejected safely after two Navy jets collide and crash during air show in Idaho
North AmericaMilitary
Four crew members ejected safely after two Navy jets collide and crash during air show in Idaho
By The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
5 hours ago
Gundlach says it’s ‘just not possible’ for the Fed to cut rates
EconomyFederal Reserve
Gundlach says it’s ‘just not possible’ for the Fed to cut rates
By Jordan Fitzgerald, Sam Kim and BloombergMay 17, 2026
6 hours ago
Supply shocks weren’t random. They were strategic—and should be seen as ‘supply coercion’ instead, former Fed official says 
Economysupply chains
Supply shocks weren’t random. They were strategic—and should be seen as ‘supply coercion’ instead, former Fed official says 
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
6 hours ago
U.S. says China to buy $17 billion of agricultural goods annually
EconomyChina
U.S. says China to buy $17 billion of agricultural goods annually
By Yash Roy and BloombergMay 17, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
9 hours ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.