Who is Elon Musk? Pros & Cons Analysis

[wrobel]

I heard a lot of opposite opinions. What do you say?

 

[StevieTNZ]

Some guy with money.

 

[Bandersnatch]

He's not the Space Jesus we need, but he's the one we deserve.

 

[Melbourne Guy]

I heard a lot of opposite opinions.

Opposite to what? Or do you mean, negative, @wrobel?

But to address the title of your post, I'd say that most of us don't know. I've heard him interviewed a few times, he seems bright but not verbally articulate or necessarily having deep thoughts on the topics being discussed.

As an example, this is one from Kara Swisher's 2019 Code Conference:

Still, he's an effective change agent if SpaceX and Tesla are any measure, and presumably not hugely motivated by money if you take into account the times he has undermined his own potential wealth, like this example:

And like a rich guy I used to work for, he seems to enjoy provoking people, perhaps just to see what he can get away with. It was annoying behaviour to experience up close, and when it's amplified by outrageous wealth, it feels just as annoying!

 

[wrobel]

Opposite to what?

opposite to each other
From one hand I understand that he is a talented businessman else he would not have so much money on the other hand some of his ideas look like pseudoscience and nonsense.

 

[Oldman too]

I've heard him interviewed a few times, he seems bright but not verbally articulate or necessarily having deep thoughts on the topics being discussed.

https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20210514/elon-musk-is-it-aspergers-or-level-asd
Whatever the answer to this link, it doesn't seem to slow him down much where it counts.

 

[Melbourne Guy]

opposite to each other

Ah, I understand, sorry, @wrobel, it's been a long day. Yes, Musk does seem to polarise opinion!

https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20210514/elon-musk-is-it-aspergers-or-level-asd
Whatever the answer to this link, it doesn't seem to slow him down much where it counts.

Nope, he is pivoting the world on electric cars and opening up the Solar System, so if he wants to incinerate his cash (and a lot of other people's) buying Twitter, more power to him. And while the Twitter-verse is abuzz with his purchase, Twitter is a poorly performing and not widely used platform (compared to its peers and the global population), so it's all a bit of a yawn-fest, for me at least.

 

[BillTre]

 

[gleem]

I think we are going to find out a bit more about him ( or his agenda) with his purchase of Twitter.

 

[Hamiltonian]

was a devout Musk supporter, read his biography(most of which is a lie) watched all his interviews, and was all in all a blind follower.
I think at the end of the day he is an over glorified investor, nothing more.

 

[hutchphd]

So far he has delivered the goods. You cannot fake those falcon stage1 landings.

At the point he stumbles (and more than likely he will), I hope all of the naysayers have a good time sniggering. They are a valuable resource...think of the problems they have solved. What would we do without the G Harold Carswell fanclub of mediocrity and the status quo. They don't even know they are members...

/

 

[wrobel]

G Harold Carswell

who is this kind man and what he does in this thread may I know?

 

[hutchphd]

He was a nominee to the US Supreme Court in 1970 put forward by president Richard Nixon. His lack of quality is the stuff of legend (as well his as former Klu KLux Klan affiliations, and prompted this infamous quote):
https://www.npr.org/sections/politicaljunkie/2009/03/on_this_day_in_1970_hruska_mak_1.html
"

As the Senate is in the process of debating the nomination of Judge G. Harrold Carswell as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court -- to fill the seat vacated by Abe Fortas -- Nebraska Republican Roman Hruska says in a TV interview, "Even if he [Carswell] were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they? We can't have all Brandeises and Frankfurters and Cardozos."

Another profile in realpolitik

 

[Oldman too]

Ah, I understand, sorry, @wrobel, it's been a long day. Yes, Musk does seem to polarise opinion!Nope, he is pivoting the world on electric cars and opening up the Solar System, so if he wants to incinerate his cash (and a lot of other people's) buying Twitter, more power to him. And while the Twitter-verse is abuzz with his purchase, Twitter is a poorly performing and not widely used platform (compared to its peers and the global population), so it's all a bit of a yawn-fest, for me at least.

My reply only addressed this statement "I've heard him interviewed a few times, he seems bright but not verbally articulate or necessarily having deep thoughts on the topics being discussed." It wasn't intended as an endorsement or critique of Musk, only an example of what people with autism spectrum disorder are capable of. I'm not a fan of "cult of personality" in any sense and could care less what Elon does with his money.

 

[strangerep]

Who is Mr Elon Musk? [...]

I still hope he turns out to be an alien, as various people have long suspected.

 

[wrobel]

I still hope he turns out to be an alien, as various people have long suspected.

He is definitely an alien. He proposed to colonize Mars and melt its ice by nuclear energy. I suspect he is one of those aliens who built a secret reactor on Mars. But the information was leaked: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall_(1990_film)

 

[wrobel]

by the way https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/29/technology/business/elon-musk-tesla-sec-settlement/index.html

Elon Musk agreed Saturday to step down as chairman of Tesla and pay a $20 million fine in a deal to settle charges brought this week by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

[gleem]

Musk says he wants to authenticate all real human users of Twitter to eliminate scams and spam accounts. I expect him to turn to OpenAI to help manage Twitter. He seems to push the envelope on everything he gets his fingers into.

 

[StatGuy2000]

I've read the news about Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter with some interest, and from what I've seen/read/heard, there is a wide variety of reactions, from enthusiasm (in particular from those of a more conservative-leaning folk, based on Musk's statements on free speech and what they interpret that means for Twitter), alarm (mainly from groups representing women, LGBTQ, etc., who fear the direction Musk intends to take Twitter), to just plain sheer confusion/bemusement.

I myself am not entirely sure what to make of his move here. The questions I have are the following:

1. Is Musk actually sincere about taking Twitter in the direction of more free speech? Does this include allowing his critics or opponents with space on Twitter? Given his past behaviour (both personally and in business) there are reasons for skepticism here. (I can link reports on some of his more questionable past behaviour in a separate link upon request).

2. Assuming Musk is sincere, what changes does he intend to implement within Twitter to bring in more free speech? So far I've heard about including the Edit function, removing bots from Twitter, and less content moderation, but without further details, it's difficult to know whether these moves are positive or negative.

3. Does Musk actually have the capability to shape or move Twitter in the direction he intends? After all, Musk already has his hands full with Tesla and SpaceX -- even given his propensity for hands-on management, it's not clear to what extent his actual involvement in Twitter will be.

4. Twitter (along with other social media platforms) can be best thought of as the "new public square". Given Twitter's prominence, what are the implications of one individual having so much power or influence over that public square?

 

[gmax137]

The questions I have are the following:

There's no way to answer any of those, other than "wait and see..."

I personally know one person with a Twitter account. So, meh. And, if Musk screws it up the people who are on Twitter will just drop it and find another outlet to vent.

 

[JT Smith]

 

[Melbourne Guy]

Given Twitter's prominence

Just a note, @StatGuy2000, that Twitter seems particularly USA-focused in influence. Other countries, like my own, are not nearly as invested in the platform, either socially or politically, such that it is our "new" public square.

Aside from that, your musings are interesting, but I wonder whether even Musk knows his own mind sometimes. He's as likely to have gotten an itch to 'fix' Twitter in a single dimension like editing tweets, which led to his initial investment to buy influence, that led to the thought, "Why not buy the rest?", that led to him stumping up the funds, as much any other explanation! The guy is mercurial, that's for sure.

 

[Oldman too]

Searching, "Musk" and "mercurial" together gives an incredible variety of interesting hits.
I found this one to be an interesting opinion. https://time.com/6171477/elon-musk-twitter-billionaires-media/

 

[Fervent Freyja]

If Isaac Newton owned Twitter then he would normalize wearing tin-foil hats.

Let's see, Elon vacillates between warning people he may die of mysterious circumstances and chocolate milk tasting good all in the span of 13 hours.

You can love someone and what they stand for but still find them annoying.

 

[wrobel]

You can love someone and what they stand for but still find them annoying.