The Journal reported executives at SpaceX worried Elon Musk was on drugs after an “unhinged” all-hands meeting in which he slurred and rambled.

  • Aceticon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    60
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    11 months ago

    The guy was a decent salesman, heavilly empowered by daddy’s money and connections, who had a bit of luck, even though he only had one kind of salesmanship technique - the Techbro Brew: heavy on selling “high-tech” and “innovation” as inherently good and always trumphing other considerations - and kept walking the grey legal area between lies, exageration and Fraud.

    However he seems to have started believing his own schtick that he’s a special golden boy whose farts smell of roses, and here we are now.

    • Optional@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      ·
      11 months ago

      Know this: having that amount of money is deeply not normal. None of us could do it. We’d save people. We’d build things that helped instead of giant toys. Billionaires are a type of sociopathy. And this guy’s got it bad.

      100% tax after 999 million. Full stop.

      • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        11 months ago

        Exactly. Musk and Trump are the poster children for why you shouldn’t leave your kids everything if you’re wealthy. It’ll ruin their lives and the lives of their children.

        • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          11 months ago

          Not trying to defend excessive wealth, but Trump and Musk were both ruined by their fathers.

          The regular model for self aware billionaires is to keep your head down. How much do you know about the Johnson and Johnson heirs? Or the Walmart heirs? They know their necks will be on the chopping block is they’re well known and a revolution comes.

      • Shadywack@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        11 months ago

        “One tiny step for mankind and one giant leap for me personally” – Jason Alexander during a skit about piece of shit billionaires making dick shaped rockets going out into space.

        • dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          11 months ago

          The irony of course is Jason, Jerry, Julia, and Larry are all billionaires.

          edit: apparently Jason only has a net worth of 50 mil despite being on the most popular sitcom of all time and the comparative net worths of his colleagues. I guess he got nothing on the back end for syndication. Shitty.

          • nomous@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            11 months ago

            Julia was rich before Seinfeld even aired.

            Larry and Jerry definitely got paid but I doubt either of them are billionaires.

            edit: She’s the daughter of French-born business magnate Gérard Louis-Dreyfus.

          • Shadywack@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            11 months ago

            In comparison, that’s absolutely shitty and I agree. On the other hand I look at his net worth though and it reminds me of a recent article about Tesla’s cofounders, and how out of 5 only two “got rich”. Within that same article the guy with the lowest net worth was still worth 200 million. Jason’s hilarious and I love his work, but at the same time if he “only” is worth 50 mil, congrats to the guy for getting rich anyway.

            Good point though about the irony of it.

      • psud@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        Musk spent a lot of money trying to teach people that that doesn’t work.

        He’s a billionaire because he owns the majority of Tesla and Tesla is very valuable. He has no taxable income unless he draws a salary or liquidates some of his Tesla shares

        He demonstrated it by liquidating some shares and getting a tax bill

        Billionaire spending money comes from a deal with a bank - the billionaire gets as much credit as they like, the bank is paid back by their estate upon death

    • Ibex0@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      11 months ago

      However he seems to have started believing his own schtick that he’s a special golden boy whose farts smell of roses, and here we are now.

      Yeah, that’s the problem. Honestly, a lot of people would do this. That’s why corporations are supposed to have checks and balances.

    • blazeknave@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      I have a couple of acquaintances that are PayPal Mafia and what I’ve put together from them and anecdotes around the Valley is pretty much spot on what you’ve got here. He’s not special. Life just had a course that worked out for his douche ass.