Elon Musk

Author: Walter Isaacson Publication Date: September 2023

2025-01-31 2 min read Sincheenz

I listened to the audio version of this book.
I wanted to understand how a libertarian, environmental champion, and technology visionary became an eccentric, detached dictator with no sense of reality.

I find the book sad—not because of Elon’s tough childhood. I believe you can’t keep blaming your actions on past experiences. Yes, there’s baggage, but at some point, you are responsible for your present-day decisions.

What makes it truly sad is the inconsistency. When he succeeds, it’s glorified as something he achieved in spite of his past. When he fails or behaves badly, it’s excused because of his past. His success is celebrated, and his failures are framed as necessary steps toward that success.

What’s even sadder is how many people openly acknowledge his idiocy, his lack of empathy, and his eccentricity—yet they continue to enable him.

His entire life is about the companies he built. Yes, not everyone can do that, but that is all he has done. Is that the price one has to pay? Has he made a sacrifice? Has he truly done so much for humanity that we owe him gratitude?

He doesn’t seem to be happy or feel good about them himself. There is a constant desire for more and more, a constant need for drama. Is this success?

Everything comes with a cost. His methods—like “fail fast” or the “idiot index” mantra—were they really the best way? They reflect his mentality of speed and efficiency, but they create a culture of fear.

These methods might have driven some breakthroughs, but they also enabled chaos, burnout, and unnecessary risks. Were they truly the best strategies, or just the easiest ways for him to justify ruthless decision-making?

Or did he just get lucky, riding the right wave at the right time, surrounded by people who made his vision a reality despite his recklessness?

Decide for yourself.