Science & Tech

How Elon Musk is Skirting the Law to Sell You a Flamethrower

by Dan Casey
May 22 2018 • 8:00 AM

Elon Musk wasn't simply content to be the closest living analogue we have to Hank Scorpio from The Simpsons—he set out to share the wealth. He didn't want to be the only one with a The Boring Company-branded flamethrower. No, he wants random people from all over the world to be able to hold a flamethrower emblazoned with his company's name in their hot little hands, too. But unfortunately for Elon Musk, there are all types of pesky laws in his way. Fortunately for us, Musk and his legal team have crafted a foolproof way to sell you the flamethrowers that you so desperately need, thanks to some clever wording and a truly ridiculous terms and conditions agreement.

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The first way that Musk and his lawyers managed to get around the law is by renaming the Boring Company flamethrower the "not-a-flamethrower." Simple enough, but also technically accurate. These glorified butane torches don't actually hurl balls of flame and are essentially gigantic, fancy, high-powered lighters rather than proper flamethrowers. In order to receive the Boring Company's not-a-flamethrower, prospective purchasers had to fill out an elaborate terms and conditions sheet, which required them to agree that they understand that The Boring Company isn't responsible for "anything [you] do, no matter how genius or stupid," including "showing off to [your] friends or romantic interests." There's even a fun rhyming section! Your move, iTunes.

Find out more on what consumers must do to get their grubby little mitts on a not-a-flamethrower, as well as the latest news about SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch, the future of rocket reusability, and much more, on today's episode of Muskwatch! Muskwatch airs on Nerdist.com and YouTube every Tuesday, but you can watch all new episodes two full days earlier on Sunday if you’re an Alpha subscriber. If you’re not already, find out how you can get 30 days free right here. What do you think of this week’s biggest Musk stories? What would you like to see us explore on the next Muskwatch?  Let us know in the comments below!

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Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@DanCasey).