Taylor Lorenz’s Power User Elon Musk's God complex
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Jun 4, 2025 Faiz Siddiqui, author of Hubris Maximus and former colleague of Taylor Lorenz at The Washington Post, delves into Elon Musk's tumultuous journey fueled by ego. He discusses how Musk’s self-obsession shaped key moments, like his controversial responses to the Thai cave rescue and the pandemic, reflecting a quest for legacy over expertise. The conversation also explores the implications of tech leaders' cults of personality, their growing influence, and the cyclical nature of Musk's career as public discontent grows.
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Musk's Mars Ambition Revealed
- In 2013, Musk revealed his ambition to go to Mars was about being the one to take humanity there.
- His desire centered more on personal legacy than purely on the necessity of Mars colonization.
Musk's Thai Cave Rescue Misstep
- Musk offered a kid-sized submarine to help rescue trapped Thai boys, a solution no one asked for.
- Frustrated by non-usefulness, he baselessly smeared a rescuer as a pedophile.
Musk's COVID Ventilator Effort
- Musk prematurely claimed COVID cases would be near zero and that kids were immune.
- Tesla built ventilator prototypes but only delivered sleep apnea machines, not medical ventilators for the pandemic.
