Elon Musk’s banter with Robinhood CEO triggers stampede for Clubhouse app

A surprise chat between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on new audio-based social network Clubhouse has helped propel the app to the top of the startup charts and sparked a scramble for invitations to the exclusive service.

The interaction between the two entrepreneurs on the platform on Sunday came amid intense interest in news around Robinhood, the online brokerage caught up in a wild stockmarket battle between retail investors and big Wall Street funds.

Demand for invitations to the less-than-a-year-old service — members get to invite a limited number of friends during its pre-launch period — is so hot, a market for them has grown on platforms like Reddit, eBay, and Craigslist.