Member-only story
For as long as he’s been CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk kept enjoying the boons of favorable coverage from tech outlets for having redefined the norms of the automobile–his company successfully turned electric cars into a status symbol for the green-minded, and in turn was able to carve out a portion of the market big enough, that the competing old guard had no choice but to adapt.
The story of Elon Musk however, is a bit more complex than his triumphs as an entrepreneur. The man formed around him a cult-like sphere that coddled his worst instincts in what became colloquially known as the “Musketeers”, and by virtue of being yesmanned through every questionable decision, he reached the only logical endpoint he could’ve–last night on Twitter, Musk urged his followers to take “the red pill”, forever shattering the illusion of genius he’s worked years to cultivate.
The emphasis on “illusion” is important here–the tech industry has a habit of assigning successful entrepreneurs “visionary” status without much merit. Musk’s closest analogue for the longest had been Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg–his entry to market with what soon became the quintessential social media network was similarly hailed as a sign of…
