Elon Musk may be a pivotal figure in history. Read this bio to learn why | Opinion

When my wife included Walter Isaacson biography’s of Elon Musk in our annual Christmas exchange of books, I decided to build to it slowly, working my way through lighter fare before tackling its 600-plus pages. The timing could not have worked better.

Now, I have completed the volume while simultaneously watching Musk’s work in the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, vault him into even greater historical significance, attracting reactions from hearty praise to virulent hate. As a result, I feel I have a better grasp of the life experience and accumulated traits that have drawn such a wide divergence of response.

Isaacson, former editor of Time magazine and CEO of CNN, appears neither smitten nor repelled by Musk’s personality and track record, which lends an air of honest brokerage for a story like no other in American history, or even human history.

Before choosing the tribe that reveres him or the one that reviles him, any observer must acknowledge that Musk is one of the most pivotal private sector figures ever. Any one of his companies — the one blazing the trail of electric cars (and robots), the one hosting the world of online conversations, the one navigating the wonders and dangers of artificial intelligence, the one that can implant an interface between the human brain and computers, or the one that seeks to land us on Mars — would place him in the pantheon of corporate achievement.

But his DOGE brainchild may cement him on lists of the most vital figures of any era. If, after generations of politicians pretending to seek a smaller government, it is this South African-born naturalized citizen who makes it happen, his political impact may rival if not exceed his business pursuits.

WHAT ELON MUSK THOUGHT OF DONALD TRUMP AT FIRST

Notably, the book’s narrative of Musk’s life ends in 2023, months before he boarded the Donald Trump train as the president’s most influential supporter. As recently as November 2022, Musk is quoted as saying “I am not Trump’s fan. He’s disruptive. He’s the world’s champion of bull [expletive].”

But Musk’s evolving passions reveal what compelled him to join forces. First came the belief that the woke obsessions of the left were among the greatest dangers to a free society; then came his epiphany that the American government could benefit from the unique blend of cost-cutting focus and problem-solving compulsion that he has brought to every company he owns.

In barely two months, Musk-sized energy has brought more clarity and attention to fighting government bloat than any elected figure could match. He is unrestrained by the political cowardice that has prevented many past leaders from following through on campaign promises.

In fact, “unrestrained” might be one of the broadest recurring themes in Musk’s life. He has constantly cast aside cautions that would have slowed even the boldest business leaders. His sharp elbows were key to the birth of PayPal in 2001, SpaceX the following year and Tesla the year after that.

SEE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK FOR ELON MUSK

When Musk runs a company, his vision is the sole locomotive. Share that vision, and you can be hired in an instant. Challenge or impede it, and you might just as instantly be gone. Colleagues who have navigated that treacherous minefield are some of his most valued partners today. Those blown up by it, or who willfully left it, still find broad appreciation for his manic embrace of risk as a tool for learning at high speed on a path toward faster success.

Musk is a mountain of paradoxes. He is a brilliant visionary with the tastes and occasional outbursts of an adolescent on a sugar high. He can rapidly assess critical needs in both government and the private sector, but he shows little of the skill set needed to enjoy normal human relationships. He can focus on issues with razor-sharp clarity, yet shows a susceptibility to loopy conspiracy theories.

Is this the nature of genius? From art to science to industry, the pages of history are filled with people who have changed the world in remarkable ways while displaying habits and life choices that range from weird to repugnant. Is relative normalcy impossible among those who revolutionize things?

Musk himself made a satirical reference to his critics when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 2021. “I know I sometimes say or post strange things,” he explained in his monologue. “But that’s just how my brain works. 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 also think I was gonna be a chill, normal dude?”

MUSK MIGHT ACHIEVE REAL SPENDING CUTS AT DOGE

Isaacson’s portrait of Musk is a deep dive into that brain, how it works and how it had already affected the world before “DOGE” ever became a household word. Now that it has, the path he has traveled helps you understand how Musk has migrated his business and personal characteristics into the world of politics and policy.

It also reveals the irony of Musk ever having criticized Trump as “disruptive.” They are both the picture of disruption in their respective ways. They have both felt admiration and condemnation as a result. Neither intends to change.

For Musk, that means his vision will probably affect the world long after the Trump presidency ends. If the government is leaner and more efficient by then, it will be a proud coda to a presidency. But it’s just one of many milestones envisioned by Musk, who plans to follow his DOGE service with nothing less than streets filled with self-driving cars, computers operated by the human mind, an AI future with maximized benefits and minimized dangers, and colonies on other planets.

This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 3:28 AM with the headline "Elon Musk may be a pivotal figure in history. Read this bio to learn why | Opinion."