Walter Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk distilled, from fierce mood swings to Ukraine intervention, his 'dumb' Pelosi tweet to that time he had the 405 repainted.
In his ‘Elon Musk’ biography, Walter Isaacson examines the billionaire’s political evolution, from fundraising for Democrats to trolling progressive politicians.
Isaacson repeatedly likens Musk to his estranged father Errol Musk, also reportedly prone to volatile moods, abrasive behavior, credit-grubbing, flimflammery and conspiracy theories. Elon’s mother Maye said Errol “hit her” before the pair divorced, which Errol denied. Musk cut off his father afterwith a woman Elon considered his half-sister — Jana — whom Errol had raised as his stepdaughter since she was 4.
It’s natural for a reader to wonder whether trying to decarbonize the auto industry or avoid humanity’s extinction justifies the chaos, the bullying, the poor labor standards — the trouble. Isaacson weighs in on the subject only at the end of his book: “Do the audaciousness and hubris that drive him to attempt epic feats excuse his bad behavior, his callousness, his recklessness? The times he’s an a—? The answer is no, of course not.
Then, a few paragraphs later, the needle on Isaacson’s moral compass wobbles: “But would a restrained Musk accomplish as much as a Musk unbound? ... 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.”
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