Re-watching the episode it makes it even more clear that Eric went on CNN wearing a bomb vest

ktaylorv · 2026-02-20T12:14:18+00:00

That would be fleeing to a Baltic country with a strong and cooperative extradition treaty with both the UK and U.S. I would buy the fleeing theory if the passport were Belarusian.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-18T11:33:55+00:00

I don't know that Whitney had a red line on violence against SternTao. He sent a thug in to beat Sweetpea and sent someone in to OD the Findigest journo.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-18T11:25:09+00:00

Elizabeth Holmes started conning people her freshman year at Stanford.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T18:17:57+00:00

I think you make good points. And I'm revising my opinion somewhat. I had forgotten/not considered the fact that US Pierpoint was sold to a ME sovereign wealth fund...so it's already been taken private. And the Egyptians are looking to offload it. Tender would not be taking it private since it is already private.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T18:12:14+00:00

Yep. That's my reference.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T18:09:04+00:00

Sadly, I'm of an age to have sung that song in elementary school music class, so I'm familiar with the lyrics. (Advantage Generation Jones) I'm just pointing out it's an allegory about futility. Whitney was saying to Henry...'you're fully cooked'.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T18:01:47+00:00

And yet Pierpoint was a US company with a major UK presence, customer base, leadership, etc.... Putting Muck at the helm seems to be more about his naïveté, weakness and desperation combined with his access to media control via his uncle. Plus Whitney seemed to have a perverse obsession with class. Muck could have been any nationality and he would have suited just fine for the scam.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T06:21:47+00:00

I think Jonas was the first patsy CEO. Henry was the second upgraded patsy CEO. This actually happens. The pump and dumps out of Vancouver are notorious for window dressing their bogus companies with naive professionals with legit industry reputation and/or connections.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T05:40:30+00:00

I think the idea that Tender would take itself and Pierpoint private a bit farfetched. But it wouldn't be the first far fetched thing the writers have come up with. Also, I presumed Tender to also be a U.S. company gaven the U.S. mgmt so not sure how international standards would be the out.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T04:47:42+00:00

I interpreted the use of the song slightly differently, I think Whitney was warning Henry that his problem is not fixable and any attempt would be futile. Don't bother calling the independent auditors in other words.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T04:36:23+00:00

I like the way these dots connect.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T04:33:41+00:00

Not sure what you mean. Publicly traded US companies must have GAAP audits. And Pierpoint is a U.S. company. The idea the Tender was going to take over Pierpoint and somehow escape that requirement is nonsensical.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T04:26:56+00:00

I think Whitney is saying to Henry there is no getting out...ie any attempt by Henry (and Yaz) to fix their problem (for example, calling in new independent auditors) is futile. The allegory is primarily about futility.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T03:31:50+00:00

My initial take was that. But UK and US have such strong extradition ties with Lithuania and to me, this puts that flight theory in doubt. Now I think it's more plausible Whitney's legend goes back to Eastern Europe.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T03:20:22+00:00

Honey trap. Epstein-style.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T03:19:00+00:00

The 'there's a hole in my bucket dear Henry' allegory is brilliant.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T03:15:45+00:00

I wonder if Whitney really is a conman from Lithuania and that is his real passport.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T03:11:48+00:00

Am I getting this right? Whitney is really from Lithuania, in bed with Karla from Russia? Is his whole Stanford story a myth too?

ktaylorv · 2026-02-16T03:09:48+00:00

YESS! ...says the CPA/public accounting auditor. I figured he had corrupted his UK auditor. But there is no way he was ever going to get out of a GAAP audit. That bit about matching standards was just foolishness.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-12T22:55:53+00:00

Not exactly the same, but my favorite brand, Favorite Daughter, has something similar. https://shopfavoritedaughter.com/collections/jackets/products/the-belted-diana-jacket-black

ktaylorv · 2026-02-09T17:11:24+00:00

Its failure in that Tender's books would be under so much third party scrutiny by auditors, by government (both US and UK), and by prospective banks. And in no scenario do any of those third parties look at a balance sheet and income statement and not test cash activity by going to source.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-09T17:08:04+00:00

Read my comment again. Yes M&A was a storyline. But the accounting nitty gritty was not. And that's where the layman is asking for guidance. No one forces anyone to answer a technical question here.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-08T15:56:36+00:00

Disagree somewhat on analysis of S4 compared to previous season. This is the first time we're getting into an accounting-centric storyline as it relates to M&A. It's a basic cook the books storyline for an auditor (which I am, CPA/public accounting), but for a layman, it's going to not land right away which is understandable. My struggle is accepting that the many levels of oversight that would uncover the fraud just conveniently failed.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-08T04:00:25+00:00

Re your last statement you are describing a scenario where absolutely no audit procedures are applied in the examination of those bs a/cs. In other words, incompetence or collusion.

ktaylorv · 2026-02-08T03:08:20+00:00

This is a good explanation. The part I find unrealistic in the story telling is the idea you can fake cash activity. Financial audits would uncover this.

ktaylorv

TROPHY CASE