Elon Musk
Although I knew about some of it going in, the details of Elon Musk's childhood are astounding. Some of it may have helped contribute to the great and resilient leader and entrepreneur he is today, but it is shocking nonetheless. Being tortured constantly whether it be his parents at home or kids at school, it amazes me that he was able to overcome all of that and be the man he is today. Which leads me to what I admire most about him which has to be his determination and belief in himself and his ideas. He moved from South Africa to Canada with next to nothing, worked odd jobs, found a way to put himself through school, sold some of his early start-ups for millions, and then used that money to bet on himself yet again with SpaceX and Tesla even though others thought he was crazy. One of his faults however, may be his view on hard work. I think Elon sees hard work and work as one and the same, which makes him harder on himself and those around him than is probably enjoyable for anyone involved. At the same time though, that simply may be what it takes to do some of the things he is doing.
Finally, if I could ask Mr. Musk two questions I'd ask him how he feels his childhood experiences have shaped who he is today, and I'd also ask him if he expects people will ever live on Mars some day.
Elon definitely has face a lot of adversity. I think all entrepreneurs do, but his seems to be on the extreme end. I read the same book and feel like he is extreme in everything he does. This is probably why he has been so successful and why he doesn't let negative press affect his determination. As entrepreneurs we will all face adversity because we are looking to do things a different way.
ReplyDeleteHey Jack,
ReplyDeleteI read the biography on Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance as well. It seems you and I have a lot of the same opinions about Elon. I was quite surprised to find out that Musk had such a rough childhood. I was almost certain that he was raised in privileged and lived a blessed life. It is apparent that that was not the case. I am also a great admirer of Musk's great determination to persevere, like you had mentioned.