At least some die-hard Tesla fans love not only the company’s products, but its CEO, Elon Musk. But demand for electric cars appears to be more stagnant than this affection – while Tesla sales figures appear to be limited only to production capacity, according to a survey, Musk himself is now viewed negatively by most Americans. It seems he is aware of this – and the semi-official biographer of the Tesla boss recommends taking a different look at such questions.
Tesla boss loses sympathy points
Ashley Vance had to deal with the question of whether Elon Musk could be crazy years ago, because at the end of a meeting at a restaurant, the Tesla boss wanted to know if the author shared his opinion. His later biography of Musk does not tell readers how he reacted. But still, Vance wrote that the entrepreneur was intrinsically loved by some and hated by others for his special nature with extremely ambitious goals (at the time at Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity) and excessive demands on employees. Was gone – even with another group. Her energy and respect for the mission strangely remain loyal to her.
Musk has become so famous now that not only do his employees and technology industry insiders have an opinion of him – and according to a survey, the relationship between sympathies and antagonisms towards him has reversed in recent weeks. As recently as this April, 54 percent of US citizens surveyed viewed Tesla and SpaceX bosses positively and 46 percent negatively, according to a newsletter from data services provider Civic Science last week. This July it was the other way around. Neutral answers were eliminated.
Musk has had a tough few months in terms of his image, Civic Science commented on the result, but didn’t say anything about possible causes and distribution before this April. The decline in expressions of sympathy began with the Tesla boss’s takeover bid for Twitter, which he justified, among other things, with a very strict restraint. It was also reported in mid-May that he sexually assaulted a SpaceX hostess, which he denied. In early July it was said that he had twins from a former Tesla and current Neuralink manager. Musk did not comment directly, but said he was doing his best to help with the low population crisis.
Musk biographer lives apart
The latest media excitement about him may not add up to Civic Science’s poll about him, as it ended last Thursday, according to the company, and only over the weekend did the Wall Street Journal report that Musk’s endorsement of a woman by Google. Had a relationship with co-founder Sergey Brin. Musk has publicly denied this, saying he is still friends with Brin, which he confirmed with a photo of a party scene he shared. And as part of a discussion on Twitter about it, biographer Vance was also asked for his current perspective on Musk.
Elon is a very complex, nuanced and interesting person. I find the blind pro and con (border religious) camp too simple. Like all of us, he has a lot going on but obviously in a much more dramatic fashion.
— Ashlee Vance (@ashleevance) 26 July 2022
It was as differentiated as the book. Musk is a “very complex, nuanced and interesting person,” wrote the author. He’s thinking “blind” pro or con about the Tesla boss himself is almost religious and overly simplistic. Like everyone else, Musk tackles many issues, only clearly in a much more dramatic way than the rest. So this time too no final Musk decision was taken from his biographer. But the controversial entrepreneur is now beginning to think to himself: It’s harder to find friends than enemies, but he’s at least getting better at the second point, Musk said on Twitter Thursday.
