timestamped My initial reaction was ,,how do you know that i measure everything in $$$?'', but on a second thought, i think that - even having em children, is partially a part of a plan, for public image too. (makes you almost right) Don't get me wrong, im fan of this guy and probably he loves those kids. But the love and perspective from people like that, is quite different from what the general audience might think of it. (just a guess...) If you go for those kind of the goals, you will use anything that's available, to make it happen. All of the options, tools, contacts, resources. The public image is a tool, that can be strengthened in certain ways. And if a man like this has a chance to do so - he will.
So he's trying to make the world a better place via Electric Cars and Re useable cheap relatively space travel / get to Mars and you think that's some selfish thing. And Relationships don't work out, just cause you've chosen ( like you'd got a better offer ) to stay with the same person for life, doesn't make your way the right and the only way, I personally find it the boring waste of life way. But each to there own stop judging other people based on what you think is right or wrong. YOLO!!! ( You Only Live Once )
It is interesting how we read the same story yet each of us focused on a different part and came to completely different view of the story. To me the most significant story lines are: 1. The return to manned flight from US soil instead of paying the Russians year after year to send out astronauts into space, 2. That the vehicle and rocket aren't developed by the military or USG or the traditional Aerospace companies but commercial and the development self funded, 3. The genius of Musk, an immigrant from South Africa made it happened and imagined if he stayed in South Africa what opportunities could he have over there, 4. The great opportunities the US offers to everyone, natives and immigrants alike. To me whether he sells his belonging, whether he is wealthy are not significant.
Surprised he cares about what anyone thinks. Think he's just trying to put max effort into Mars and his Kids maybe
While GM, Ford and Chrysler were moving all their car factories to Mexico, he was busy building Tesla in Silicone Valley. While Boeing, Northrop etc. are moving all their aerospace operations out of Southern California to Alabama, Georgia, Arizona and Texas he built his Space X in SoCal, all in spite of high cost, high taxes. Maybe it is the water. In all seriousness, it offers a lesson for all who chase after low cost productions in foreign countries, especially in China.
what's that? Accessible transportation to the masses? You can thank AC Propulsion, Tarpenning & Eberhard for that. Musk's capital injection helped no doubt, but venture capitalists are a dime a dozen in Silicon valley.
Guys like him never want to make the world a better place to live in. If that was remotely true he would have made the world a better place to live in for those who loved him. Instead he made their life to a living hell. Musk is a self absorbed asshole who just stepped into a niche and presses every dollar out of it. No space for a second hero in Musk's world. Anyone who challenges. Him is either publicly shamed or attacked. That's not the life of a man who respects and wants others around him grow and wants to make the world a better place. And sure, marriages sometimes don't work out. But when marriage after marriage after marriage does not work out and then a baby is born out of wedlock then such person is either erratic to the degree of being retarded, or has some serious issues making others feel loved and cared for. At some point after repeating mistakes multiple times one has to ask himself what one is doing wrong. For Musk it's always others who fail never him, lol.
To me I read how everything he has done so far does not benefit any human being anything other than the workers he probably pays minimum wage. Manned space travel? Is America's dick still too small to have to compete with another man with incurable hubris? But sweet story about the land of honey and unlimited potential. I am sure South Africans back in SA are just as happy and content. Probably on average way happier than the average American. Here the positive I take away from all this: That I want to embrace and cheer the particular common man a lot more who maintains a healthy life style, loves those around him, helps others succeed, is humble, knows he will get his reward without having to demand it from others, displays no desire whatsoever to become richer but instead quietly goes about working hard knowing that with hard work success comes no matter how hard bad luck may sometimes strike. A man who relishes and flourishes by being content. Elon is not one of such admirable men, but a clever salesman who was born, lives his selfish life at the expense of others, and dies and will be forgotten. The thread title perfectly sums it up: the hero America deserves.
... While a significant percentage of parts in every Tesla are MADE IN CHINA. Not sure what low costs and quality in China you are suggesting and alluding to when 1000+ usd mobile phones that house top technology and are manufactured to perfection all are made in China. You may want to tour some Shenzhen manufacturing floors to understand what China is nowadays capable of producing, quality wise. But it can also manufacture garbage, just a function of what the consumer desires.