In 1928 Ryan and Percy Rockefeller aggressively speculated on Anaconda
shares, causing them to go up at first (at which point they sold) and then
to go down (at which point they bought them back). Known today as a "pump
and dump", at the time it was not illegal, and was actually quite common.
The prices, under the pressure of a "joint account" set up by Ryan and
Rockefeller of nearly a million and a half shares of Anaconda Copper Company
, fluctuated from $40 in December, 1928 to $128 in March 1929.
Is that what Musk is doing now?