Elon Musk

by Walter Isaacson

But his childhood also made him all too human, a tough yet vulnerable boy who decided to embark on epic quests.

And thus the question about Elon Musk: Could he have been more chill and still be the one launching us toward Mars and an electric-vehicle future?

By early September, all three, along with Reid Hoffman and David Sacks, had decided it was time to dethrone Musk.

The paypal success story wasnt without conflict

When hiring, look for people with the right attitude. Skills can be taught. Attitude changes require a brain transplant. A maniacal sense of urgency is our operating principle. The only rules are the ones dictated by the laws of physics. Everything else is a recommendation.

People should keep his psychological makeup in mind when judging him, she argues. “If someone has depression or anxiety, we sympathize. But if they have Asperger’s we say he’s an asshole.”

That was the inspiration for Starlink, to fund getting to Mars.” He pauses, then adds for emphasis, “The lens of getting to Mars has motivated every SpaceX decision.”

“It’s bad when there is extreme pressure. But if a lot of things start going right, it’s also not great for my psychic health.”

“This is how civilizations decline. They quit taking risks. And when they quit taking risks, their arteries harden. Every year there are more referees and fewer doers.” That’s why America could no longer build things like high-speed rail or rockets that go to the moon. “When you’ve had success for too long, you lose the desire to take risks.”

But would a restrained Musk accomplish as much as a Musk unbound? Is being unfiltered and untethered integral to who he is? Could you get the rockets to orbit or the transition to electric vehicles without accepting all aspects of him, hinged and unhinged? Sometimes great innovators are risk-seeking man-children who resist potty training. They can be reckless, cringeworthy, sometimes even toxic. They can also be crazy. Crazy enough to think they can change the world.

Justifying?