How This Elon Musk Biography Changed My Opinion of the Chaotic, Serial Entrepreneur
Walter Isaacson strikes again
I’ve been a critic of Elon Musk and a defender. Although mostly a critic since he started trying to buy Twitter (now X).
Walter Isaacson’s biography of Musk, however, has changed my opinion of the man. Before, I dismissed him and his cries for attention as those coming from a sociopathic asshole. Now, I still think he’s an asshole with serious personal issues, but he’s our asshole.
Humanity is net positive with Elon Musk in the world. His frenemy, Bill Gates, said it best:
“You can feel whatever you want about Elon’s behavior, but there is no one in our time who has done more to push the bounds of science and innovation than he has.”
Isaacson’s biography does a great job illustrating why this is true, despite falling short in a few key areas. Let’s address those shortcomings first.
Musk grew up in apartheid South Africa, but the book barely mentions it
Isaacson includes a few anecdotes. For example, one involving Musk and his brother Kimbal witnessing…
