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The Myth That Is Elon Musk [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-02-16

I have told this story before about my experience with Elon Musk. I was doing some sales consultation work as a contractor for Solar City, run by his cousin, but chaired by Musk. They were the leading solar distributor in North America, maybe even the world at the time. One day he decided to fire all the sales people on a whim, thousands impacted including installers, many who surely ended up going to his competitors as they were well trained professionals. Within 24 hours it was essentially over. They made up some flimsy financial reasons for the media, but I suspect it was Musk’s ego. It didn’t go well from that point on for his solar business.

By now everyone should know that Elon Musk didn’t start Tesla. The actual founders had the company name and motor design, using some of Nikola Tesla’s original technology. Musk was brought in as a venture capital investor and took it over. This is all common knowledge in the car manufacturing industry. The two partners, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning had working prototypes built. It was a cool looking roadster that could go about 200 mph.

Musk’s companies aren’t successful in the traditional ways one might evaluate a business. Profit, debt to earning ratio, etc. They exist essentially on the mythology around Musk himself, he is largely the brand. High debt and overvalued stock prices helps fuel the façade. I suspect he knows all this and is a deeply insecure man who just wants to be admired. In my opinion he will ultimately take Tesla down. I’m reminded of the words of a boxer character played by Marlon Brando in the film, On The Waterfront:“I could a been a contender, I could a been the champ instead of a bum, which is what I am”.

What might have been can haunt a person.

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