Dr. Faustus, Call Your Accountant

 

Elon Musk has cultivated a reputation as a quirky guy. His girlfriend apparently shares his desire to be viewed as, well, different than normal people. Claire Elise Boucher changed her name to Grimes but goes by “C.” She and Musk just had a baby who they named X Æ A-12, but they had to change it to X Æ A-Xii because the oppressive white male patriarchy state of California, apparently, does not allow numerals to be used in a name. Like, whatever, dude.

Ms. Boucher/Grimes/C is known as a singer, but she paints as well. Her latest art exhibition is notable for two reasons. First, it is being done completely online. Second, because Ms. Boucher/Grimes/C is selling not only paintings, but also a portion of her soul. She has listed an unspecified percentage of her soul for $10 million, or best offer. So I, naturally, called my accountant. I was curious about the tax implications of such a sale.

Her soul is not a tangible asset, like a car or a house. It’s not exactly capital gains. Is it intellectual property, like a patent or something? How would the buyer depreciate her soul (and his investment) over time? Fascinating stuff.

And people say accounting is boring.

My accountant, however, didn’t seem as fascinated by my questions as I was. Instead, for some reason, he kept asking me if I thought it might be a good idea to cut back on my alcohol intake. What alcohol has to do with the tax implications of soul-selling, I have no idea. His mind does tend to wander about, a bit. I feel bad for him.

But my point, as best as I can recall, is that the story of Elon, C, X Æ A-Xii, C’s soul, and C’s tax accountant would normally strike me as a bit odd. But recently, with everything that’s going on, it struck me as odd that all this did not strike me as particularly odd.

Either these are strange times, or the bourbon is finally starting to work. I’m not sure which it is. I suppose it doesn’t really matter. Like, whatever, dude.

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  1. David Foster Member
    David Foster
    @DavidFoster

    At least Goethe’s Faust wrote a contingency clause into the sale of his soul which (he thought) would protect him from having to consummate the transaction…didn’t just sell it outright.

    • #1
  2. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    This is how to news! 

    • #2
  3. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    Besides your accountant, you need a good contract lawyer to find a way to confirm she turns over soul after it’s been sold. How will one take possession of it? Seems like a good chance for fraud.

    • #3
  4. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    People whose only thought is themselves. I feel sorry for that kid in so many ways. 

    • #4
  5. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    She’s proud of it, asking $10 million.

    I can see where Satan might have an interest in a human soul; I can’t see why another human would.

    • #5
  6. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    It goes to show that someone as talented and successful as Elon Musk, who has been given so many blessings, can really louse it up. It’s a shame that an innocent little baby is in the midst of this nuttiness – and is not to be taken lightly….

    • #6
  7. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    Bishop Wash (View Comment):

    Besides your accountant, you need a good contract lawyer to find a way to confirm she turns over soul after it’s been sold. How will one take possession of it? Seems like a good chance for fraud.

    As a lawyer who has written lots of business contracts in which how to measure and document performance by the parties have often been points of contention, I would be fascinated to see how this one would get written. 

    • #7
  8. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    The analogy is not quite perfect, but I worry she could be Elon’s Yoko.

    • #8
  9. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Another delightful post, @drbastiat. Just what the doctor ordered for these troubling times.

    • #9
  10. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Good work, bourbon!

    • #10
  11. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    She’s proud of it, asking $10 million.

    I can see where Satan might have an interest in a human soul; I can’t see why another human would.

    But it also says she doesn’t have much faith in Mr. Musk’s continued attention. Presumably a lifetime mutual commitment between Ms. Boucher and Mr. Musk should be worth a lot more than $10 million. Selling her soul is likely to result in conflict among Ms. Boucher, Mr. Musk, and the buyer of Ms. Boucher’s soul. The likelihood of such conflict, and its probably large consequences, suggest to me that she thinks selling her soul would generate a better return than staying with Mr. Musk. 

    Another person might be interested in using Ms. Boucher’s soul (the essence of her personhood) either to control or to torment Mr. Musk. 

    • #11
  12. Mim526 Inactive
    Mim526
    @Mim526

    This would be SMH funny were it Joe Schmoe in Hollyweird, but it’s a person of some alleged mental acuity/influence and there’s a new baby so it’s more than a bit…tragic, I think’s the word.

    • #12
  13. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Dr. Bastiat: … Ms. Boucher/Grimes/C is selling not only paintings, but also a portion of her soul.

    All or nothing, baby.

     

    • #13
  14. E. Kent Golding Moderator
    E. Kent Golding
    @EKentGolding

    I think there needs to be some confirmation she has a soul to sell.  She seems kind of soulless.   And if she has one, she may not have the title to it anyway.

    • #14
  15. Fritz Coolidge
    Fritz
    @Fritz

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    She’s proud of it, asking $10 million.

    I can see where Satan might have an interest in a human soul; I can’t see why another human would.

    “I gave her my heart, but she wanted my soul . . . Don’t think twice, it’s all right.”   –Bob Dylan

    • #15
  16. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    I keep having this sneaking feeling that the little Muskrat’s name was chosen deliberately as some sort of database unlock key, and this kid will only find out the dark secret when he undergoes a quest to redeem his mother’s soul from a safe deposit box.

    • #16
  17. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Sounds rather like bitcoin. Or goodwill. 

    The question I would find even more fascinating is: Has she had any takers? 

     

     

    • #17
  18. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    Percival (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat: … Ms. Boucher/Grimes/C is selling not only paintings, but also a portion of her soul.

    All or nothing, baby.

     

    A soul does seem difficult to divide, doesn’t it.

    • #18
  19. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    She’s proud of it, asking $10 million.

    I can see where Satan might have an interest in a human soul; I can’t see why another human would.

    Isn’t this a form of slavery?  Perhaps the highest form.

    • #19
  20. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Mim526 (View Comment):

    This would be SMH funny were it Joe Schmoe in Hollyweird, but it’s a person of some alleged mental acuity/influence and there’s a new baby so it’s more than a bit…tragic, I think’s the word.

    You make me think that Joe Bidet in Delaware might have sold his soul as well.  I wondered what was wrong with him.

    • #20
  21. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat: … Ms. Boucher/Grimes/C is selling not only paintings, but also a portion of her soul.

    All or nothing, baby.

     

    A soul does seem difficult to divide, doesn’t it.

    Horcruxes seem to work OK.  You just need to pick sturdy ones.

    • #21
  22. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat: … Ms. Boucher/Grimes/C is selling not only paintings, but also a portion of her soul.

    All or nothing, baby.

     

    A soul does seem difficult to divide, doesn’t it.

    At the very least hold out for a controlling interest.

    • #22
  23. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    Dr. Bastiat: Second, because Ms. Boucher/Grimes/C is selling not only paintings, but also a portion of her soul. She has listed an unspecified percentage of her soul for $10 million, or best offer. So I, naturally, called my accountant. I was curious about the tax implications of such a sale.

    That market’s cornered. And there’s no toe in the water, selling of a percentage. It’s all or nothing.

    • #23
  24. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    Maybe time for a remake of The Devil and Daniel Webster with a surprise entrance of an attorney entering an appearance on behalf of an intervenor third party claimant. Subplots: The Devil had planned to keep it the Ninth Circuit but Trump’s appointments have made that iffy; Webster discloses his new sexual identity in his penultimate speech; 

    • #24
  25. aardo vozz Member
    aardo vozz
    @aardovozz

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Mim526 (View Comment):

    This would be SMH funny were it Joe Schmoe in Hollyweird, but it’s a person of some alleged mental acuity/influence and there’s a new baby so it’s more than a bit…tragic, I think’s the word.

    You make me think that Joe Bidet in Delaware might have sold his soul as well. I wondered what was wrong with him.

    Was “Bidet” intentional or just predictive text doing its thing?

    • #25
  26. Philopus Inactive
    Philopus
    @Philopus

    C’s next move should be to offer a piece of her mind – at least here we can be sure of its worth…

    • #26
  27. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    I don’t think here soul is worth 10 million but I would like to buy souls. I suspect that they won’t cost very much for awhile but when they are valuable, they are super valuable. 

    • #27
  28. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Philopus (View Comment):

    C’s next move should be to offer a piece of her mind – at least here we can be sure of its worth…

    She wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near $10 million for it.

    • #28
  29. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    ctlaw (View Comment):

    The analogy is not quite perfect, but I worry she could be Elon’s Yoko.

    That’s good.

     

    • #29
  30. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    People whose only thought is themselves. I feel sorry for that kid in so many ways.

    Yes.  Musk is already famous.  Does he really need more attention so badly that he is giving his child a name no one will correctly spell or know how to pronounce, just so he can appear cutting edge?  He and the Mrs. are intentionally making his kid’s life harder because they think it will make them cooler.

    • #30
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