Elon’s career-focused ambition is tremendous. Among other things, he is the founder, CEO, and chief engineer of SpaceX, CEO and product architect of Tesla, founder of the Boring Company, co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI, president of the Musk Foundation, and owner and CEO of Twitter.
Elon has been known to make significant announcements, predictions, and bold claims on his Twitter account, like when he said he could solve Australia's energy problem in 100 days with a Tesla Powerpack.
He rarely takes a vacation and tremendously identifies with the success of his work. He is always talking about doing the extraordinary and making an impact.
He cares a lot about his image and legacy. With SpaceX, Elon envisions building a self-sustaining colony on Mars, thus ensuring human survival beyond Earth – a critical component of his legacy.
He relishes his public persona of being a man that can save the world.
Elon is ready and able to steer PR by discrediting anyone who devalues his work. He is also hypersensitive to public criticism. For example, when members of Congress criticized his handling of the Twitter buyout, when hedge funds were selling short Tesla stock, and when he was criticized for how he handled the Thai rescue situation, Elon publicly criticized the very people who were criticizing him.
Elon seems to be adaptable / chameleonic when he is speaking to different audiences. For example, on the Joe Rogan show, he smoked weed with Joe (which got a lot of validation from Joe and the listeners) even though it had negative consequences for Elon because weed isn't legal on a federal level, and his company SpaceX has federal-government contracts.
He seems to want to play by his own rules. He tried to back out of the Twitter deal even after he signed a contract stating his intention to buy it.
It appears that Elon prioritizes efficiency, productivity, and success over emotional depth.
Although Elon is naturally extroverted, he has an introverted side to him and does not appear to be interested in consistently connecting with other people (which gives us confidence that he has a 4 Wing).
In Their Own Words
"I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary."
"To make an embarrassing admission, I like video games. That's what got me into software engineering when I was a kid. I wanted to make money so I could buy a better computer to play better video games. Nothing like saving the world."
"You could power the entire United States with about 150 to 200 square kilometers of solar panels, the entire United States. Take a corner of Utah... there's not much going on there, I've been there. There's not even radio stations."
"I'm nauseatingly pro-American. I would have come here from any country. The U.S. is where great things are possible."
"When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars people said, 'Nah, what's wrong with a horse?' That was a huge bet he made, and it worked."
"I've always wanted to be part of something that would radically change the world ... People forget the power of inspiration. All of humanity went to the moon with the Apollo missions. The issue was cost. There was no chance to build a base and create frequent flights. That's the problem I would like to solve."
"I think that's the single best piece of advice. Constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself."
"I'd like to dial it back 5% or 10% and try to have a vacation that's not just email with a view."
"I would only call someone an idiot if people were mistakenly under the impression that the person was smart."
Photo: Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Upbuild Enneagram Podcast, with new episodes added frequently.
Enneagram Library Live: twice-monthly teachings and discussion with the Upbuild Team
Explore the Enneagram through an Upbuild workshop.
A private Enneagram Deep Dive to help you figure out and harness your Type.