Financial Twitter — like much of Twitter in general — is rife with voices spewing foul, even hateful language. It can be a dangerous place for many people — and not just women, though #metoo moments regularly happen there.
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At a time where even the President of the United States’ tweets contain vicious and false statements, it should not be surprising that the same is true for Financial Twitter — also known as FinTwit — which has its share of blowhards, bullies, and bots.
“It’s like graffiti on the bathroom wall,” says ex-con-turned-fraud coinsulant Sam Antar, who has gotten into a Twitter war-of-words with well-known shortseller Marc Cohodes due to a disagreement over Overstock.com, a stock Cohodes is touting after previously betting against.
At the same time, the social media site has become an indispensable tool for market participants as well as journalists, both as a place to disseminate information and to learn what’s going on the world, a modern-day news feed. For many, it’s also a place to let off steam or try to share their view of the world — or at least to tout, or slam, a stock.
For the full story, which explores tweets by Elon Musk and Australian hedge fund manager John Hempton, as well as former hedgie Cohodes, and various threats and intimidations, please read my Institutional Investor story below.
Michelle Celarier 