ELON MUSK
VISIONARY. INNOVATOR. HUMANATARIAN
Prolegomenon.
Whatever skeptics have said cannot be done, Elon Musk has ventured into the unknown void and unearthed a solution. Recall in the 1990s, when we would hesitantly ring strangers, and present them our credit-card details? Elon daydreamed, and envisaged a little thing identified today as PayPal. His Tesla Motors and SolarCity corporations are shaping an unpolluted, renewable-energy future into existence. SpaceX is resurrecting space for exploration, a unique puzzle and paradox that Elon is tirelessly slogging away to improve our planet for all species. In the same period, constructing a spacecraft to help facilitate an escape beyond the limits of our imagination. Perhaps an alternative option is adequately necessary – looking at the vulnerability of today’s world.
An evolution. Difference between delusion and optimism.
A little boy by the name of Elon Musk came into being in 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, the older sibling of three other children. His father’s name was Errol Musk who was also an electrical engineer and a pilot. His mother was Maye Musk, who was jointly fine-looking and exquisite, a charming model embarking on a nutritious lifestyle. A positive lifestyle which encouraged Elon’s sibling Kimbal Musk to also follow in the footsteps of his mother– to change the way we consume and source our food.
Prior to Elon Musk growing into who he is today, an investor, engineer, and entrepreneurial businessman who many look to as some out of world species – the journey was not persistently fluent from the outset. A long, complex & incomprehensible adventure resulting in Musk becoming a master at the art of failing successfully.
In today’s time he has received great acclaim for his out-the-box authenticity, Genuity and high risk-to-reward ratio which sparked technologically innovative transformations that have truly shaped a sustainable world. Elon musk’s thinking has always been focused on removing human complications and obstructions. Because of this optimistic philosophy and sophistication, is known as the brilliant entrepreneur with a capacity in which has never been witnessed in current generations.
For most of us meagre homo-sapiens, conceiving and establishing three multibillion-dollar companies in different industries would be a colossal and immense accomplishment for one lifespan. But Musk is not close to finished. In fact, he is just getting started, as he embarks on an overwhelming journey, to one day… “make humans a multiplanetary species”.
How childhood entrepreneurship shaped his future.
Let us rewind the clock to 49 years ago, when Elon Musk was conceived on 28 June 1971. Elon musk got his adenoid glands removed at a young age, and since then was exceedingly absorbed in his own world – drifting into a trance and forgetting about all those around him. Fascinated with reading literally every subject & swallowing entire Encyclopaedia’s, was frequently
observed with a book in his hand. He would be seen playing with toy rockets or his own hand-made creations, unknowingly all of which had a deep connection to his future. By the age of 10, he had developed an interest in computer programming, and started to make his own video games (sounds bizarre right?).
By the time he was twelve years old, after learning computer programming and having run out of material to read, he meticulously coded day and night, a video game named Blastar. He managed to strategize a sales pitch at such a young age and sell this to a company named PC & Office Technology for a whopping $ 500. From this moment, the potential was visible to his family. He was specifically fascinated with Isaac Asimov, a collection of books which would spark an immense imagination to all things technological and science, with a focus on the laws of physics – in which he would lead his life by.
Life was not so simple for Elon, because of the nature in which he presented himself, lead to an unfortunate barrage of harassment in school. One time, a group of students pushed Elon down the stairs and relentlessly beat him, eventually he blacked out. This would result in being admitted to the local hospital for repair. At the age of seventeen, he was officially admitted to Queen University. And after two years of study, he was relocated to the University of Pennsylvania, for a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics in 1992. Progressing onto California in 1995, for applied physics and material sciences at Stanford University.
Stepping up to become a successful businessman.
In 1995, eager to pursue opportunities in the internet boom, he decided to take a huge risk and drop out of Stanford after just two days to launch his first company, Zip2 Corporation. He could see the potential at the beginning of the great internet boom, and this was his once in a lifetime opportunity. With the aid of his brother’s involvement, created a much-needed online city guide software platform, where newspapers could interconnect fluently. This was later bought up by a company called COMPAQ by paying a large sum of 307 million dollars. And after Zip2 was sold off, he received 22 million from his seven percent share in the company. Musk was just twenty-eight years old, and his life had just changed eternally.
In 1999, with the influence, momentum, and belief in his own talent, he invested ten million dollars in a breakthrough financial platform – to easily send and receive money via email and was named X.com. Many moons later this platform went on to partner with Confinity and eventually became known as PayPal. In 2002, eBay purchased PayPal for a vast sum of 1.5 billion dollars, with Elon pinching a colossal 165 million as the largest shareholder. Elon would purchase his first dream sports car, the McLaren F1.
In 2002, SpaceX was founded after Elon injected 100 million dollars of his own money, with the grandiose aspiration of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars. SpaceX after an intense journey and investment developed several launch vehicles and the Dragon spacecraft many years later. In March 2017, SpaceX became the first company to successfully re-launch and land the first stage of an orbital rocket, inspiring other billionaires such as Richard Branson to join in.
In 2003, a fact in which many are not aware of, it was Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning that influenced and eventually founded TESLA. After general motors had an issue with recalls of the EV1. Seeing the higher fuel efficiency of battery-electric cars as an opportunity to break the usual correlation between high performance and low fuel economy in automobiles. After the VC round in January 2004, luckily happened to connect with Elon Musk who injected a 7.5-million-dollar investment, becoming chairman of the board. After an unusual lawsuit, many years later, resulted in over five people becoming legally noted as co-founders.
Musk focused his absolute attention to the engineering feats and details rather than the financial spectrum. Focusing on vehicles such as the roadster. Insisting on utilising carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer body components, designing an entire range of power electronical modules for many of the vehicle’s parts. Musk became CEO in 2008 and fired twenty five percent of employees to reduce the burn rate and ensure the longevity of the business. Tesla has now changed the auto-industry forever with its convenience, customisability, and innovative technology, and the future is gearing up to become an electric one as all major car brands rush to catch up. Those who do not make drastic adaptations to their business model in line with Elon’s electric vision, are forever left behind.
Somewhere in between all this innovation, he also managed to spearhead a subsidiary of tesla named Solarcity. Specialising in solar energy systems and services and going on to create a national effort for mass adoption. All this innovation and genius is truly making a positive impact on our world. Elon does not like to take all the credit; he shares gratitude with the team of amazing engineers and staff who make it all possible. You can see how his decisions in his younger years, the books of Izaac Asimov, and how the playing with rockets and code, has really changed the planet we live in. Thankfully, his parents did not take away his toys!
Unlocking humanities full potential. Artificial intelligence.
Musk and Sam Altman, and a few others pledged one billion dollars on AI development and deployment, setting up OpenAI based in San Francisco, California in December 2015. With a primary objective and mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity, whilst remaining entirely safe. Elon could see the future from a young age & knew what was coming in terms of automation and Artificial Intelligence. Engaging directly with a company named Neuralink, to unlock the full potential of the brain. Building a scalable implant to connect human brains with computers, slowly injecting very intrinsic threads and implanted chips that are extremely precise.
Humans are comparatively full of emotions, benign and incredible slow in comparison to these AI machine. The intellectuals of today’s society tend to believe it is best to join the AI system than be left behind in the shadows. Perhaps implant a Neuralink chip, and seamlessly merge biological intelligence with machine intelligence. It sounds great right? Not everyone agrees. We would not have to communicate via mouth, and many of the worlds leading diseases would finally have a solution. So what is the problem…an Ai apocalypse, the future of humanity? A gateway would be opened into the future, advancing and progression humanity leaps and bounds forward. As us, mere immortals live and reap the awards of the mind of Elon Musk.
Known around the world.
Elon Musk may just be the 21st century’s Thomas Edison. He is cemented for generations to follow as a prolific inventor of innovative inventions and inspired the youth to look up to space. He has demonstrated, with work ethic and unlimited imagination, genuine willingness can truly make an inconceivable change. We can truly embark into our dreams and shape this planet for better.
It seems Elon looks at the world differently than the rest of us. He looks at money as a tool to change this planet, not as a commodity. He looks at having multiple houses and possessions, as a weight on his shoulders and decides to release all weight and unnecessary stress, to focus his attention on much greater obstacles. To give hope and chance for earth to be sustainable, for others to come along and enjoy this planet. It seems he does not fear whether his business makes billions or millions of dollars, or hires X amount of employees, no. His main purpose is to inspire others to join him on his incredible quest, to fix all the broken quadrants of society. Some look to him, as if he is mentally disturbed or crazy, perhaps – he is not crazy… he is just real. And for the rest of us? Maybe we have got it all wrong.
What it takes, do what compliments sustainability & join Elon Musk in contributing to humanity.
In addition to his remarkable life journey and his primary business pursuits, Musk has envisioned a high-speed transportation system known as the Hyperloop. Musk has said the goals of SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity revolve around his vision to “change the world and help humanity”. His primary goals include reducing global warming through sustainable energy production and consumption and reducing the risk of human extinction by establishing a human colony on Mars.
What I have personally learned from Elon Musk, is that there is no longer an alternative, and the way in which we are currently living– the planet cannot sustain. We must dismantle the structures of such a system and reshape the system for thousands of generations to follow. We cannot be selfish, to continue down the path of self-destruction, we must look up to space and see the endless possibilities for new and exciting opportunities. We must close our eyes, and dream … and know that all we can see inside, we can create with an unwavering conviction in our own capabilities.
Inside each of us, is something truly magical – if we can sacrifice some flawed pre-dispositions, and dedicate our lives to chasing our dreams relentlessly, we can unlock the serenity within, against all odds we can give hope and possibility.
Thanks to Elon’s parents for not taking away his toys 😉
Author: Ryan Ward of Liive International Initiative
