Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future
I was travelling back from Liverpool to London on the train and picked up a book a friend was reading. It was about Elon Musk, I knew very little of him but had heard of SpaceX and Tesla. As soon as I read the first page of the book, Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future by Ashlee Vance, I was fascinated! Space rockets, leading edge electric vehicles, Silicon Valley, who wouldn’t be!
A definite must read for anybody who is interested in the future and advancements of humanity. The achievements of Elon Musk makes Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin & Jeff Bezos look insignificantly ordinary. That’s certainly not a dig at them as these guys are giants in today’s world. However Elon Musk has delivered the biggest advances the space, automotive and energy industries the world has seen in decades, with an unerring look towards the future of mankind.
Elon Musk: The Man
At the age of 17 he upped sticks and emigrated from South Africa to Canada, where he eventually resided in the US to seek "The American Dream”. He made his money after cashing in on his first company Zip2 ($22 million) and then x.com which merged with PayPal ($165 million), October 2002. This gave him the capital to invest and start up his stated life’s purpose... turning humans into space colonisers! Elon, “I would like to die thinking that humanity has a bright future. If we can solve sustainable energy and be well on our way to becoming a multi-planetary species with a self-sustaining civilisation on another planet - to cope with a worse-case scenario happening and extinguishing human consciousness, then, I think that would be really good”. Musk threw $100 million into SpaceX, $70 million into Telsa Motors and $10 million into SolarCity!
It hasn’t all been plain sailing, to say this guy has gone through the mill and back would be an understatement. He had a troubled up bringing, married divorced three times (twice to the same partner), had 5 children, lost a child, almost died in 2000 from a malaria infection aged 29 and was on the bring of bankruptcy in December 2008 with Tesla. Elon Musk has been pushed to the very brink, stared over the precipice, survived and excelled.
SpaceX
Aside from putting man on Mars, one of Musk’s goals is to reduce the cost of human spaceflight by a factor of 10 while improving reliability. “[Musk] is battling the giants of the U.S. military industrial complex, including Lockheed Martin and Boeing. He’s also battling nations---most notably Russia and China. SpaceX has made a name for itself as the low-cost supplier in the industry.” He has revolutionised a 60 year old ageing and stale space industry with reusable rockets and made space fun and exciting again.
“If the company can perfect this technology, it will deal a devastating blow to all of its competitors and almost assuredly push some mainstays of the rocket industry out of business while establishing the U.S. as the world leader for taking cargo and humans into space”. To the point, Musk said, “My family fears that the Russians will assassinate me”.
Telsa
Musk a lead investor in Tesla essentially wanted to change the minds of automobile companies and consumers that electric cars are a viable option and the future of the industry. This in tow would reduce the World’s dependency on petrol and ultimately help global warming. This has manifested itself in the form of the Roadster, Model S, Model X and the cheaper Model 3.
The Future: So what next for Elon Musk, SpaceX and Tesla?
Back in 2013 Elon Musk and SpaceX open sourced the idea of Hyperloop transportation. Where pressurised capsules ride on an air cushion in reduced-pressure tubes. This now gathering pace in the form of the company Hyperloop One. Hyperloop One announced in February 2015 their plan to develop a route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas and have raised more than $90 million in working capital.
Tesla announced back in March 2016 the Model 3 for $35,000, moving from a low output high price structure to a high output low price. Musk has aimed for a production rate of 500,000 cars by 2018.
SpaceX is also pursuing automated launch capabilities, aims to build a constellation of 4000 satellites capable of beaming the Internet to the entire globe and ultimately sending humans to colonise Mars. Yes... that’s all!
My own personal suggestion would be a space elevator, which would make space rockets (and SpaceX) more or less obsolete. Maybe in my lifetime?!
Conclusion
Elon Musk hasn’t got to where he has, yes a whopping $12.8 billion net worth, through being nice. He is a very controlling individual due to his long term goals, he’s difficult to work with and his companies have a high turnover of staff due to his extremely high demands.
But he has a clear vision for all his companies for which he doesn’t want to waver or deviate. He tries to make what seems impossible, possible. The extraordinary, ordinary and all on a shoe string budget at the same time. In SpaceX and Tesla, Musk has brought the Silicon Valley start up mentality to ageing and stale industries that have been sitting idly complacent for far too long without innovation and future foresight. Elon Musk has disrupted this thinking and has made the World sit up and take note.
The best quote to finish up on from the book which encapsulates what Musk is about and what he is trying to achieve, is as follows:
“While the ‘putting man on Mars’ talk can strike some people as loopy, it gave Musk a unique rallying cry for his companies. It’s the sweeping goal that forms a unifying principle over everything he does. Employees at all three companies are well aware of this and well aware that they’re trying to achieve the impossible day in day out. When Musk sets unrealistic goals, verbally abuses employees, and works them to the bone, it’s understood to be---on some level---part of the Mars agenda. Some employees love him for this. Others loathe him but remain oddly loyal out of respect for his drive and mission. What Musk has developed that so many of the entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley lack is a meaningful worldview. He’s the possessed genius on the grandest quest anyone has ever concocted. He’s less a CEO chasing riches than a general marshalling troops to secure victory. Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos, Musk wants to... well... save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation”.
There you have it! Go read the book, you certainly won’t regret it. You might even learn something about a guy who is trying to help shape the world for the better and for generations to come.
This book gives a great overview of Elon’s childhood, his move from South Africa to Canada then U.S., early start up days with Zip2, then x.com merger with PayPal. A little bit about his personal life, then finally exploring his struggles with both SpaceX and Tesla Motors right from initial startup to present day. A fascinating read for anyone that is interested in Silicon Valley, startups, engineering, space and generally awesome geeky things.
Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future









