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Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

author:Yuedan set

He is controversial and has many fans. He has an unusual influence in the world of technology, business, and entertainment.

He has founded several disruptive companies such as SpaceX, Tesla, Sun City, etc., and he is also the chairman and CEO of Twitter.

He dreamed of making humanity a multi-planetary species. He is fully committed to promoting clean energy and low-carbon mobility. He spares no effort to explore models for the convergence of artificial intelligence and humans.

He has been praised by some as "the contemporary Edison", "realistic version of Iron Man", "rock star in the world of technology", etc., and criticized by some as "arrogant", "arrogant", "irresponsible" and so on. He has been controversial for making statements on Twitter that are contrary to mainstream views or contrary to science, and has also been criticized by professionals for his views on artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, public transportation, and more.

He became Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2021, hailed as the "dreamer who changed the world", and he became the second place on the Forbes rich list in 2023, with a fortune of 1.28 trillion yuan.

01

Elon Musk (Elon Musk), born in 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, has a triple nationality of the United States, South Africa and Canada. His father is an Anglo-Dutch son who worked as a mechanical and electrical engineer in South Africa, and his mother was born in Canada and was a model who also worked as a writer and nutritionist. Musk has a younger brother and a younger sister, both of whom are successful entrepreneurs.

Musk has shown an unusual interest in science and technology since he was a child, buying his first computer at the age of 10 and teaching himself programming . He designed a space shooter at the age of 12 and sold it to a magazine for $500.

In 1988, when Musk was 17 years old, he left his native South Africa for Canada, where he lived with his mother's relatives. He obtained Canadian citizenship in 1989 and applied for admission to Queen's University in Ontario the following year. There he studied physics and business, while also befriending his first wife, Justin Wilson. They married in 1990 and later had 6 sons.

Musk transferred from Queen's University to the University of Pennsylvania in 1992, where he earned a double bachelor's degree in economics and physics. When he was in college, he began to pay attention to the Internet, clean energy and space, three fields that will affect the future development of mankind, and had the dream of starting a business.

Musk graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and planned to pursue a PhD program in materials science and applied physics at Stanford University, but the day after enrollment, he decided to drop out and start his entrepreneurial path.

Musk dropped out of school after dropping out of school to co-found Zip2, a company that develops online content publishing software for news organizations, at a time when The New York Times and The Chicago Post both became clients of the Musk brothers. They sold the company to the American computer manufacturer Compaq in 1999 for $ 307 million, in which Musk earned $ 22 million . That same year, Musk invested another $10 million to start an online financial services and email payments business with two partners from Silicon Valley X.com The company merged with Confinity in 2000 to form PayPal, and Musk became the largest shareholder in PayPal. They sold PayPal to eBay, the world's largest online shopping company at the time, for $1.5 billion in 2002, a deal in which Musk earned $165 million .

So far, Musk's wealth has left countless people in the dust, but his ambitions are much more than that. He has ambitious goals in many fields, and he hopes to change the future of humanity through technology.

02

After selling his PayPal, Musk did not stop his entrepreneurial dreams, and he began to invest in the field he was most interested in - space exploration.

He invested $100 million in 2002 to start SpaceX and served as CEO and CTO. He worked on the reusability of rockets and reducing the cost of space transportation, leading to the eventual interstellar colonization of mankind . The SpaceX website reads a quote from Musk: "Wake up early in the morning and believe that the future is good - that's what space civilization is all about." ”

SpaceX, a privately held space company, has developed reusable rockets and spacecraft that dramatically reduce the cost of space transportation. It was also the first commercial company to send two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station and back, and the first manned spaceflight completed from the continental United States since NASA ended its Space Shuttle program in 2011.

SpaceX's ultimate goal is to send humans to Mars and build a Martian city that can run on its own. To achieve this, SpaceX is developing a very large rocket called Starship, which can transport 100 people or 100 tons of cargo to Mars or other planets at a time. Starship can also refuel in orbit, as well as produce propellant on Mars, making it sustainable to travel to and from space . On April 20, 2023, local time, SpaceX conducted an unmanned flight test of the Starship Heavy Launch Vehicle in Texas, USA, and 3 minutes after launch, the Starship exploded in mid-air. The next test is being prepared.

Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

Starship launch failed (Source: Network)

In addition to Mars, SpaceX has a program called Starlink, a global internet network of thousands of satellites designed to provide high-speed, low-latency, low-cost Internet access, especially in geographically remote or underdeveloped infrastructure. SpaceX has launched nearly 2,000 Starlink satellites and plans to launch tens of thousands in the next few years to cover all regions of the globe.

03

Musk is very concerned about energy and transportation issues on the planet, and he believes that sustainable energy and smart transportation are key to solving climate change and improving the quality of life. He joined electric car maker Tesla in 2004 as chairman and product designer and concurrently served as CEO in 2008. His goal is to produce high-performance and environmentally friendly electric vehicles and solar products that drive the development of sustainable energy.

Tesla is a leading electric vehicle and clean energy company that produces several popular electric vehicles such as Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, etc., as well as solar roofs, solar panels, and battery energy storage devices such as Powerwall, Powerpack, etc. Tesla's electric vehicles not only have excellent performance, safety and range, but also have Autopilot, a self-driving technology that enables functions such as automatic following, parking and remote summoning.

Tesla delivered 1,314,300 electric vehicles in 2022 and plans to increase production capacity and sales in the coming years to meet growing market demand. Tesla is also expanding its global presence, with factories already in the United States, China and Germany, and plans to open new factories in other countries such as India.

Tesla once had a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion and is still the world's most valuable car company.

Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory

In addition to Tesla, Musk also has a transportation project called Hyperloop (Hyperloop), which is a concept that uses vacuum tubes to transport passengers or cargo compartments at ultra-high speeds, which can achieve near-sonic transportation speeds and greatly reduce the time of long-distance travel. Musk made the concept public in 2013 and invited other companies and teams to develop and implement the idea. At present, several Hyperloop projects have been tested and built around the world, such as Virgin Hyperloop in the United States and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies in India.

04

Musk has always had a keen interest in artificial intelligence and neuroscience, which he believes can enhance human cognition and communication skills to meet future challenges. In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI, a nonprofit company that researches and advances artificial intelligence. In 2016, he co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company focused on developing brain-computer interfaces.

OpenAI, a research institute dedicated to ensuring that AI is good for humans, aims to create General Artificial Intelligence (AGI) that can work with humans and avoid the emergence of super-artificial intelligence (ASI) that is bad for humans. OpenAI has developed a number of breakthrough AI projects, such as GPT-3, GPT-4, DALL-E, CLIP, etc., which can realize natural language understanding, image generation, visual recognition and other functions, triggering an artificial intelligence revolution around the world. Sadly, though, Musk resigned from the company's board in 2018. After ChatGPT was born, Musk, who has never regretted it, said in an interview: "I fully admit that this is an extremely stupid decision. "

Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

ChatGPT was born

Neuralink is a company dedicated to the development of implantable brain-computer interfaces, which aim to enhance human cognition and communication capabilities by connecting the human brain and external devices through implantable brain-computer interfaces. Neuralink is developing an implantable chip called N1 that can record and stimulate neural activity in the brain through 64 extremely thin electrode wires, and then wirelessly transmit the data to an external device.

Neuralink's goal is to treat various neurological-related diseases and disorders such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, blindness, hearing loss, depression, aphasia, etc. Neuralink also hopes to improve human learning and creativity by enabling humans to interact directly with artificial intelligence and other digital devices through brain-computer interfaces.

Neuralink has already demonstrated the feasibility of its technology in animal experiments, such as in August 2020, when it showed the public a pig called Gertrude, which has an N1 chip implanted in its brain that monitors its nose tactile nerve activity in real time. Neuralink has also received human trial approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and plans to begin performing implants in volunteers in 2023.

05

The acquisition of Twitter is another amazing move by Musk.

Musk has more than 80 million followers on Twitter and often posts his opinions and plans through the platform. He is also one of Twitter's most outspoken critics, repeatedly expressing dissatisfaction with Twitter's content moderation, algorithm rankings, bot accounts, and other issues.

On April 25, 2022, social media platform Twitter accepted Elon Musk's acquisition agreement. Under the agreement, Musk bought Twitter for $54.20 per share, totaling about $44 billion. It was a deal that shocked the world and another bold attempt by Musk in the business field.

Musk's idea to acquire Twitter dates back to March 2022, when the Twitter account of the US conservative satirical website Babylon Bee was suspended for referring to Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Rachel Levine as "Man of the Year." Musk expressed puzzlement and conducted a poll on whether Twitter adheres to the principle of free speech. The results showed that more than 70% of voters believed that Twitter did not follow this principle. Musk then hinted at his intention to buy Twitter, saying the outcome of the vote would be important.

Musk began buying Twitter shares on January 31, 2022, but did not file the relevant documents with the SEC until March 24. On April 4, Musk announced that he had acquired a 9.1% stake in Twitter, becoming the company's largest shareholder. After the news went public, Twitter's share price experienced its biggest increase since its initial public offering. On April 5, Twitter invited Musk to join the company's board of directors, which Musk accepted. However, this cooperation did not last long. On April 10, Musk posted several tweets critical of the Twitter company and reversed his decision to join the board.

On April 14, Musk offered a non-binding resolution proposing a wholly owned acquisition of Twitter for $43 billion. This is considered a hostile takeover. Twitter's board said it would carefully review the proposal and launched a "poison pill plan" to approve shareholders to buy additional shares in the event of a hostile takeover. On April 20, Musk said that he had received $46.5 billion in financing from a number of banks and planned to make a tender offer. On April 25, Twitter's board of directors announced its decision to accept Musk's acquisition proposal.

Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

Musk acquires social media giant Twitter (Source: Network)

After Musk acquired Twitter, he said he would work to make Twitter the world's premier free speech platform, add new features to products, open source algorithms to increase trust, defeat bot accounts, and authenticate all humans. He also said he would reinactivate some controversial public figures and news outlets banned from Twitter, including former President Donald Trump. However, Trump said he would not return to Twitter and would continue to use the social media platform "Truth" he created.

Musk's acquisition of Twitter sparked reactions and comments from all sides. Some see this as an innovation and progress that will benefit Twitter's development and reform. Others worry that this will lead to a decline in the quality of Twitter and even become a propaganda tool for Musk. Others expressed doubts and doubts about Musk's motives and purposes for the acquisition. In any case, Musk's acquisition of Twitter is undoubtedly one of the most significant business events of 2022 and a historic turning point in the social media space.

06

Elon Musk has extraordinary achievements in many fields, and his bold words and actions have also caused a lot of controversy. Musk's influence and popularity have made him one of the most followed figures on social media, and every tweet he makes is likely to spark buzz and repercussions. In other words, Musk is not a big deal.

Musk has repeatedly warned that artificial intelligence may pose a threat to humanity and even lead to its extinction, and he has called for more regulation and control of artificial intelligence . Musk has also had disagreements and conflicts with other experts and entrepreneurs in the field of artificial intelligence, such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. In 2018, Musk publicly called Zuckerberg's views on AI "very stupid" on Twitter.

Musk's work in neuroscience has also sparked discussions about ethical and social issues, with concerns that implantable brain-computer interfaces could invade an individual's privacy and freedoms or be used for undesirable purposes, such as manipulating, controlling or monitoring others. Some have also questioned whether Neuralink's project has sufficient scientific basis and effectiveness, and whether it is sufficiently safe.

Musk has also made remarks on Twitter on sensitive topics such as Tesla's stock price, new crown epidemic prevention measures, and the results of the US election, which has triggered investigations or interventions by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other agencies.

Musk tweeted on March 15, 2018, inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to a duel, but then explained that it was just a joke.

According to Reuters on February 17, 2022, Musk posted a picture of Hitler on Twitter on the 16th local time, with the top of the picture saying "Stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau" and "I have a budget" at the bottom. Subsequently, Musk deleted the tweet.

Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

Screenshot of Musk's Twitter

Musk and Bill Gates have different views on many issues, and sometimes have contradictions and conflicts. According to the British "Daily Mail", during Musk's acquisition of the US social media giant Twitter, an American media said that Bill Gates funded a number of organizations that called for preventing Musk from acquiring Twitter. Musk tweeted after learning the news: "Sigh. Later, he wrote again, "What a disgusting practice."

Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

Twitter screenshot

After acquiring Twitter, Musk joked on Twitter about buying Coca-Cola and adding cocaine to Coca-Cola's recipe.

Elon Musk: A tech madman who dreams of changing the world

Screenshot of Musk's Twitter

Musk's maverick is also reflected in family life, he has been married three times and has 10 children, one of whom is named X Æ A-12 Musk, which has caused confusion among many netizens.

07

Musk has promoted scientific and technological innovation and industrial transformation, provided solutions and models for mankind to solve major problems, and become a leader in the scientific and technological industry and one of the top 100 figures of the times. He let people see the infinite possibilities of science and technology, and inspired people's yearning and exploration of the future. He has made pioneering contributions in many fields and is known as the "real-life version of Iron Man". He has been named 2020 Person of the Year by Time Magazine, Most Influential Business Leader of 2020 by Fortune magazine, and World's Richest Person of 2021 by Forbes Magazine. He has also received the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Distinguished Public Service Medal and was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Musk's vision and extraordinary business acumen are key to his success. In 2014, Musk announced the opening up of all of Tesla's patented technology, a move that earned him industry acclaim such as "disruptive" and "unprecedented". Some people think that opening up patents shows Musk's open-mindedness and selflessness. In fact, this is just a tactical strategy he adopted for Tesla's development, and it is also a testament to his vision above most other entrepreneurs.

At that time, the share of electric vehicles in the entire automotive industry was still very low, and plug-in vehicles, including hybrid and pure electric vehicles, were sold in the United States in 2013, accounting for less than 1% of total US car sales, while pure electric vehicles accounted for only half (i.e. less than 0.5%). The opponent of electric vehicles was not peers at that time, but traditional car companies. At that time, Tesla was far from successful, on the contrary, it was still in a state of significant losses. Tesla alone, no matter how advanced the technology is, can not support a new energy vehicle industry, such as the layout of charging stations, the production of charging piles, the improvement of the industrial chain, etc., are not one or two enterprises can complete. Musk is aware of this, and if you want to succeed, you must work together, attract more talents, enterprises, and capital to enter the game, and rapidly expand the power of new energy vehicle companies, so as to compete with traditional car companies. In the early stage of industry development, by opening up its own patents, lowering the technical threshold, and attracting more enterprises to join, the "cake" can be quickly expanded.

As it turned out, he made the right move. The electric vehicle industry has developed, who is the biggest beneficiary? Looking at Tesla's market capitalization, the answer is clear.

Musk's success also shows his attitude and qualities as an entrepreneur, who dares to take risks, pursues excellence, is not afraid of challenges, and does not admit defeat. He once said, "If you don't fail, it means you haven't innovated enough." "Musk's past has not been smooth sailing, and he has encountered many difficulties and crises in the process of starting a business. In 2008, he nearly faced bankruptcy because SpaceX's rocket launch failed three times and Tesla was in trouble with production and sales. He had to borrow money to pay rent and put most of his wealth into the company to keep it running. Fortunately, after the successful fourth rocket launch, SpaceX was awarded a contract from NASA and received an infusion of funds.

Musk is not a perfect hero, especially his comments on social media, which often lead to doubts and criticism, and even lead to legal battles.

Musk is a person with a strong personal color, and his ideals and ambitions far exceed ordinary people. He constantly pursues his dreams and continues to influence the world. His story continues.

Some references:

Elon Musk | Biography, SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, & Facts

Elon Musk - Forbes

Elon Musk News: The Latest - The New York Times

Elon Musk: The Innovator" by Quentin Fottrell

Elon Musk: The Man Who Dreams of Tunnels" by Wired

Elon Musk: Tesla's $50 Billion Gamble" by Bloomberg

How Elon Musk Fooled the World" by Rob Cottingham

Elon Musk: The World's Most Prolific Innovator" by Fortune

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