Book & Author
Walter Isaacson: Elon Musk
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
“To anyone I've offended, I just want to say, I reinvented electric cars and I'm sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?” —Elon Musk, Saturday Night Live, May 8, 2021
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs
Elon Musk is a towering figure who elicits strong opinions —both positive and negative — reflecting his multifaceted personality and the significant impact he has on a spectrum of industries — from Space Technology to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Elon Musk has several major strengths that have contributed to his success as an entrepreneur and innovator: Visionary thinking, innovative mindset, resilience and perseverance, passion and dedication, leadership and charisma, and risk-taking. These strengths have played a crucial role in Musk's success and have made him a key figure in the world of technology and business.
Elon Musk has made several key technological contributions across various industries: 1. Space X, founded in 2002, aims to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars. The company has also developed reusable rockets like the Falcon 9 — which has revolutionized satellite launches and space travel, 2. Tesla Motors, founded in 2003, to produce electric vehicles. Tesla's electric cars, such as the Model S, Model 3, and Model X, have set new standards for performance and range, 3. Open AI, founded in 2018, a research organization focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) to augment human intelligence rather than replace it, 4. Solar City, co-founded by Musk in 2006, focuses on providing solar energy services for homes, businesses, and utilities, 5. Neuralink, founded in 2016, aims to develop a brain-machine interface to help humans couple with artificial intelligence, to treat neurological disorders and enhance human cognition, 6. The Boring Company, founded in 2016 to address traffic congestion by developing underground tunnels for the transportation of electric vehicles and high-speed transit systems, and 7. PayPal, founded in 1999, as X.com, revolutionizing online payments and e-commerce.
Elon Musk is also regarded as a controversial figure for several reasons: 1. His social media behavior, particularly on Twitter (now X), has often sparked controversy. His tweets have influenced stock prices, led to legal issues, and sometimes contained controversial and offensive statements, 2. His management style has been described as harsh and lacking concern for employee well-being, 3. His political involvement and affiliations, and support for certain political figures and agendas, has led to debate and criticism, 4. He faced a plethora of legal issuesand challenges, including a lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over his acquisition of Twitter. The SEC alleged that Musk failed to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner, leading to financial harm for investors, and 5. His public statements have been regarded as misleading or unfounded.
Elon Musk bulldozed his way into Donald Trump’s election campaign by contributing more than $270 million and becoming a close adviser to Trump. But just before the inauguration of President Trump, Elon Musk through his peculiar and impulsive utterances — about the UK, Germany, and the Grooming gangs of the UK — has emerged as a very disruptive figure. Many of his statements and claims are not based on facts, especially his blaming of Pakistanis for being responsible for sexual assaults in the UK — represent a position popularized by the far right. A report by the UK Home Office has found that most child sexual abuse gangs (88%) are made up of white men under 30.
His comments supporting far-right parties, insulting European leaders, and indulging in political interference — have stirred controversy among European leaders; they have criticized Musk for his attempts to influence their domestic politics. They expressed concerns about his significant economic resources and control over social networks being used to interfere in elections.
President Biden in his farewell address took aim at the 'tech industrial complex,' by stating: “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that really threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead." He did not take names but he was referring to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, et al.
Elon Musk , Walter Isaacson's biography, published in 2023, narrates a comprehensive account of Musk's life — from his turbulent childhood in “apartheid” era South Africa to his pioneering ventures in electric vehicles, social media, space exploration, and beyond.
The author starts the book with Musk's early years in Pretoria, South Africa, where he faced an abusive family environment, particularly from his father. This testing upbringing shaped Musk's personality— instilling in him resilience and a confrontational nature. His early interest in technology and science fiction provided a refuge and a sense of purpose, setting him on a path that would lead him to Canada, and eventually to the United States.
The author chronicles Musk's entrepreneurial journey, starting with Zip2, a software company offering city guides to newspapers. Despite strong competition, the success of Zip2 marked the first of many business victories for Musk. The narrative then transitions to the establishment of X.com, an online payment platform that evolved into PayPal. Musk's journey with PayPal involved boardroom conflicts and a power struggle, but its eventual sale provided him with the financial means to pursue his most ambitious ventures.
The bulk of the biography is focused on Musk's space ambitions with Space X. The author highlights Musk's relentless pursuit of making space travel more affordable and accessible, leading to numerous innovations that disrupted the aerospace industry. The biography also delves into Musk's work with Tesla, Neuralink, and the Boring Company — showcasing his visionary leadership and the controversies that often accompany his bold decisions.
The biography of Elon Musk has several notable strengths: 1. Detailed coverage: The book provides a very comprehensive coverage of Musk’s life — from his tough growing up in South Africa to his pioneering ventures in electric vehicles, space exploration, and beyond, 2. Balanced viewpoint: The author presents Musk as both a visionary and a controversial person, balancing Musk’s pioneering achievements with his complex personality, and 3. Insightful Analysis: The author delves into Musk’s innovative approach to starting successful ventures by examining his thinking, resource optimization, and innovative technological mindset. The book has 95 chapters spanning over 670 pages.
Walter Isaacson has written biographies of Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Henry Kissinger. He is also the author of The Innovators and the coauthor of The Wise Men. He has been the editor of Time, the CEO of CNN, and the CEO of the Aspen Institute. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2023. He is a professor in Tulane and lives with his wife in New Orleans.
The author observes that Elon Musk's childhood experiences have indeed shaped his personality, including his impulsiveness. Growing up in Pretoria, South Africa during the apartheid era, Musk faced several challenges that contributed to his impulsive behavior: 1. Bullying at school led him to develop a strong sense of self-defense and assertiveness, 2. Parental divorce createdemotional turmoil and instability in his early life, 3. His introverted nature allowed him to visualize projects and ideas, but it also made him more impulsive in pursuing his visions.
Reflecting on Elon’s rough upbringing, the author cites Elon’s wife Justine, the mother of five of his surviving twelve children: “‘If your father is always calling you a moron and idiot, maybe the only response is to turn off anything inside that would've opened up an emotional dimension that he didn't have tools to deal with.’ This emotional… valve could make him callous, but it also made him a risk-taking innovator. ‘He learned to shut down fear,’ she says. ‘If you turn off fear, then maybe you have to turn off other things, like joy or empathy.’ …During a particularly hellish period of his life in 2008, after the first three launches of his Space X rockets exploded and Tesla was about to go bankrupt, he would wake up thrashing and recount to Talulah Riley, who became his second wife, the horrendous things his father had once said. ‘I'd heard him use those phrases himself,’…’It had a profound effect on how he operates.’ …’ Inside the man, he's still there as a child, a child standing in front of his dad.’"
Referring to the wedding of Maye aka Nee Haldeman (a model and a dietician) with Errol Musk, the author observes: “When Maye graduated from college, she moved to Cape Town to give talks about nutrition. Errol came to visit, brought an engagement ring, and proposed. He promised he would change his ways and be faithful once they were married. Maye had just broken off a relationship with another unfaithful boyfriend, gained a lot of weight, and began to fear that she would never get married, so she agreed. The night of the wedding, Errol and Maye took an inexpensive flight to Europe for their honeymoon. In France, he bought copies of ……., which was banned in South Africa, and lay on the small hotel bed looking at them, much to Maye's annoyance. Their fights turned bitter. When they got back to Pretoria, she thought of trying to get out of the marriage. But she soon became nauseated from morning sickness. She had become pregnant on the second night of their honeymoon, in the town of Nice. ‘It was clear that marrying him had been a mistake,’ she recalls, ‘but now it was impossible to undo.’”
Describing the divorce of Elon’s parents, the author notes: “The morning after the Oktoberfest altercation, Errol came over to Maye's mother's house, apologized, and asked Maye to come back. ‘Don't you dare touch her again,’ Winnifred Haldeman said. ‘If you do, she's coming to live with me.’ Maye said that he never hit her after that, but his verbal abuse continued. He would tell her that she was ‘boring, stupid, and ugly.’ The marriage never recovered. Errol later admitted it was his fault. ‘I had a very pretty wife, but there were always prettier, younger girls,’ he said. ‘I really loved Maye, but I screwed up.’ They divorced when Elon was eight. Maye and the children moved to a house on the coast near Durban, about 380 miles south of the Pretoria Johannesburg area, where she juggled jobs as a model and dietician. There was little money. She bought her kids secondhand books and uniforms. On some weekends and holidays the boys (but usually not Tosca) would take the train to see their father in Pretoria. ‘He would send them back without any clothes or bags, so I had to buy them new clothes every time,’ she says. ‘He said that I would eventually return to him, because I would be so poverty-stricken and wouldn't be able to feed them.’ Often, she would have to travel on a modeling job or to give a nutrition lecture, leaving the kids at home.”
Reflecting on Maye and her kid’s post-divorce life, the author states: “‘I never felt guilty about working full-time, because I didn't have a choice,’ she says. ‘My children had to be responsible for themselves. ‘The freedom taught them to be self-reliant. When they faced a problem, she had a stock response: ‘You'll figure it out.’ As Kimbal recalls, ‘Mom wasn't soft and cuddly, and she was always working, but that was a gift for us.’ Elon developed into a night person, staying up until dawn reading books. When he saw his mother's light go on at 6 a.m., he would crawl into bed and fall asleep. That meant she had trouble getting him up in time for school, and on nights when she was away, he would sometimes not get to class until 10 a.m. After getting calls from the school, Errol launched a custody battle and had subpoenas issued for Elon's teachers, Maye's modeling agent, and their neighbors. Right before going to trial, Errol dropped the case. Every few years, he would initiate another court action and then drop it. When Tosca (Elon’s sister] recounts these tales, she begins to cry. ‘I remember Mom just sitting there, sobbing on the couch. I didn't know what to do. All I could do was to hold her.’”
Commenting on Elon’s academic record, the author notes: “The student Musk was a good student, but not a superstar. When he was nine and ten, he got A's in English and Math. ‘He is quick to grasp new mathematical concepts,’ his teacher noted. But there was a constant refrain in the report card comments: ‘He works extremely slowly, either because he dreams or is doing what he should not.’ ‘He seldom finishes anything. Next year he must concentrate on his work and not daydream during class.’ ‘His compositions show a lively imagination, but he doesn't always finish in time.’ His average grade before he got to high school was 83 out of 100. After he was bullied and beaten in his public high school, his father moved him to a private academy, Pretoria Boys High School. Based on the English model, it featured strict rules, caning, compulsory chapel, and uniforms. There he got excellent grades in all but two subjects: Afrikaans (he got 61 out of 100 in his final year) and religious instruction (‘not extending himself;’ the teacher noted). ‘I wasn't really going to put a lot of effort into things I thought were meaningless,’ he says. ‘I would rather be reading or playing video.’”
Expounding on Elon’s studies at Queen’s University, and his start of a friendship with a Pakistani student, the author states: “On his second round of the SAT tests, he got a 670 out of 800 on his verbal exam and a 730 on math. He narrowed his choices to two universities that were an easy drive from Toronto: Waterloo and Queen's. ‘Waterloo was definitely better for engineering, but it didn't seem great from a social standpoint,’ he says. ‘There were a few girls there.’ He felt he knew computer science and engineering as well as any of the professors at both places, but he desperately desired a social life. ‘I didn't want to spend my undergraduate time with a bunch of dudes.’ So in the fall of 1990 he enrolled at Queen's. He was placed on the ‘international floor’ of one of the dorms, where, on the first day, he met a student named Navaid Farooq, who became his first real and lasting friend outside of his family. Farooq's father was Pakistani and his mother Canadian, and he was raised in Nigeria and Switzerland, where his parents worked for United Nations organizations. Like Elon, he had made no close friends in high school. At Queen's, he and Musk quickly bonded over their interests in computer and board games, obscure history, and science fiction. ‘For me and Elon,’ Farooq says, ‘it was probably the first place we were socially accepted and could be ourselves.’” In the dorm, Elon got immersed, with Farooq at his side, in board and computer games — playing for hours to improve their skills in high-level strategy, resource management, supply-chain, and tactical thinking.
Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk has some notable shortcomings and drawbacks: 1. Too much focus on negative characteristics: The author highlights Musk’s mood swings and lack of empathy, which portray Musk to be overly negative, 2. Lack of technical depth: The author’s description of technical topics, like electric vehicles and space exploration, lacks technical depth and is difficult to follow, and 3. Controversial reporting: The author’s claims about Musk’s involvement in the Ukraine war faced security, and the author had to clarify it later.
Despite these shortcomings, the book provides a detailed and revealing account of one of the most influential figures in today’s technology world. Isaacson paints a detailed portrait of Musk as both a visionary and a controversial leader, balancing his groundbreaking achievements with the often difficult and controversial dimensions of his personality. The book provides readers with a deeper understanding of the man behind some of the most influential advancements of the current technological era. It's essential reading for all inquisitive minds.
(Dr Ahmed S. Khan —dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org — is Fulbright Specialist Scholar )
