Elon Musk

De: Walter Isaacson, Walter Isaacson - introduction

Narrado por: Jeremy Bobb

The #1 New York Times and global bestseller from Walter Isaacson—the acclaimed author of Steve Jobs, Einstein: His Life and World, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci—is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating, controversial innovator of modern times. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Elon Musk as he executed his vision for electric vehicles at Tesla, space exploration with SpaceX, the AI revolution, and the takeover of Twitter and its conversion to X. The result is the definitive portrait of the mercurial pioneer that offers clues to his political instincts, future ambitions, and overall worldview.

When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.

His father’s impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive.

At the beginning of 2022—after a year marked by SpaceX launching thirty-one rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth—Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life,” he said.

It was a wistful comment, not a New Year’s resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter, the world’s ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground.

For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?

Interesting Public Figure

Preface this with I’ve always liked Musk. He’s a blue collar worker’s billionaire, which is to say, everyday people like Musk. The story is mostly favorable, which causes it to come off like Musk had commissioned Isaacson to write it. That being said, Isaacson can’t help but let his political positions when documenting Musk’s occasional interaction with political matters. At these junctures, Isaacson goes into limousine liberal autopilot and portrays Musk as a conspiracy theorist, instead of the libertarian that he is.
As a result, the unavoidable failure is Isaacson’s inability to check his political ideology at the door. This is the single greatest criticism of this biography.
Otherwise I have thoroughly enjoyed this piece.

Well told

I’m inclined to believe that this is a fair account of the life and mind of a complicated, talented, and influential person.

We want people like him to be our heroes but we learn once again that we can appreciate, admire, and even, to the degree that we are able, emulate them. But we learn yet that it isn’t wise to make any single fellow human being our “hero.” While some people have heroic characteristics and accomplishments, they are, in the end, another fallen person, living amongst fallen people in a fallen world.

I’m more grateful than ever that Elon Musk occupies this fallen world at the same time as I and my loved ones. He is making significant contributions. But I am reminded once again that I have to look elsewhere for a Saviour. I believe with my whole heart and mind that I have found him in a man who lived some 2000 years ago.

All I can say is Amazing book

I purchased because I saw the author interviewed on TV and he said he had full access and control of final product. Only knew news stories about Musk so bought it.
It is a mesmerizing book. I could not quit listening. Friends were listening for the first 2 hours and then had to leave and went out and bought it so they could finish it. Definitely a worthwhile listen. I have a lot of respect for Musk knowing his genius and even for his irrational behavior in many instances.

entertaining, riveting and troubling

Elon is a giant asshole, a petulant man child, someone I will never want to be a friend with

But I will make it my life's mission to have my children work for him for at least 3 years after college.

A man on a mission for humanity, not humans

An incredible window into an extraordinarily flawed human being. It is clear that Elon keeps his eyes to the sky and will stop at nothing to get there.

One on hand, I admire his transparency in this biography as yet another open source philosophy to inspire other entrepreneurs and dreamers to tackle Earth’s hardest problems.

On the other hand, Elon is undeniably tortured by his dad and fear of being alone. He executes not by thoughtful strategy, but by ice in his veins taking risks and sheer willpower with no regard for emotions.