Entrepreneurs change the world. Elon asks “Why stop there?”

I finally watched Bloomberg’s extensive profile on Elon Musk and forgot that I held an impromptu interview on the subject after a board meeting several moons ago. What a pleasant surprise.

There was something about the cartoon rendering of the image above that caught my eye. When we took our first tour of the former NUMMI plant, I noticed a fish-eye safety mirror overhead, and when I zoomed in, it made for a cool effect. So I asked Elon to look up and smile for the camera, and now as I look at it, I see a Bloomberg photographer following suit, from a rotated perspective of the same scene.

Elon quotes from the profile:

“When I was a little kid I was really scared of the dark, but then I came to understand that dark just means the absence of photons in the visible wavelength, 400 – 700 nanometers. Then I thought: it’s really silly to be afraid of a lack of photons. Then I wasn’t afraid of the dark after that.”

“An engineer is the closest thing to a magician that exists in the real world.”

And more on the Iron Man footage in the profile.

Bloomberg caption: “Elon Musk, the entrepreneur who helped create PayPal, built America’s first viable fully electric car company, started the nation’s biggest solar energy supplier, and may make commercial space travel a reality in our lifetime. And he’s only 40.”

What an incredible diversity of industries… I will also be interviewing him for the Churchill Club Legendary Leader award next month.

24 responses to “Bloomberg Risk Takers: Elon Musk”

  1. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    Chapeau!

    (watching the video, u there, his bro there too! I remember him! re-nice to see you guys!)

    Reply
  2. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    *Breathtaking*
    (finished watching)

    …and specially breathtaking for all the memories that come to mind from all these years, sharing with you here in flickr… Falcon’s launching (the fails and the success), Tesla models releases… so many of the things I watched that I experienced when they were happening.

    Impressed. Humbled. And deeply inspired.

    Thanks for sharing. People reading this comment, do watch!!
    http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184/

    Reply
  3. pawelre Avatar
    pawelre

    I’ve seen this movie few days ago on Blomberg tv, very cool. Good luck mr Musk 🙂

    Reply
  4. born1945 Avatar
    born1945

    Great video. Great story.

    Reply
  5. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    Perhaps you are a cyborg. It all fits. And very empowering to know…

    @gi – was trying to remember where his brother Kimbal appeared, and sure enough, the flickr shared memory bank comes to the rescue

    Rocket Boys

    Reply
  6. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Cool, gosh busy day at work, do not have time to see video yet – here is my complements:
    http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jasonmraz/thedynamoofvolition.html

    Reply
  7. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    uf, cannot upload video, not sure why…. also wanted to mention: love this whole "the absence of photons in the visible wavelength" reminds me one of Bill Gates TED videos where he took a jar of fireflies and let them out… kinda cool… yep, cheers to all photons!!!

    Reply
  8. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    @Steve Jurvetson Indeed! the visual search engine remembers e v e r y t h i n g !! 😎

    @solerena it looked hard today to watch the video, I sent it to a friend and they couldn’t either. Try tonight, must be the traffic. Worths it!

    Reply
  9. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    bummer. Are both links bonkers – my Redux and alieness’ Bloomberg?

    Reply
  10. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Thank you, just watched the video… i am speechless, even in Russian, not even mention English:D
    Love that Elon said that darkness is the absence of light – maybe we will create a new technology (rockets are old staff) and redesign our own selves for space travel and it will happen in our life time… great honor to both, Steve and Elon, wow!!!!! I would say that Elon might be remembered as number one entrepreneur hands down in human history!!!! I really felt strange sense of connection when I accidently saw articles about him in Florida when he started Space X, very surreal! Fantastic video and exceptionally done too. Elon’s mom and wife should be noted too as amazing women.
    I am personally for “radiant mankind” as for K. Tsiolkovsky… strangely but rocket scientists were always great friends of mine in Moscow:) and staying demure here as I am anyways:D

    But one more thing – i would think that one has to choose between 5 children and 3 companies… both would not work even for heroes. I guess most Europeans do not really know how even to relate to number "5" when it comes to children, at least i am one of them…

    Reply
  11. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    @solerena I like your new avatar!

    re: the family-work balancing act = My main client has 5 kids, in between 2 and 18 years old. He works all day long 24/7, he is rich, so he has lots to care about in many fronts and he is a very creative man with an entrepreneur spirit, so he runs some ventures along those lines… I can tell you for what I see, being able to be a juggler and balance the plates has a lot to do with the spouse you have and what they expect from you and what sense of self worth, integrity and self importance do they have. Some people love the idea of being with a successful man when the lights are on, "for the record", for the money and the glory and the status, but that’s not what everyday life of that same people is made of. And some people, then, hate it. They want the good, but can’t stand the bad. It’s not always bad intentions, but that you "got to realize" over time that you can’t stand it…

    Some women compete with their husbands success at work, instead of peering, instead of standing side by side, they stand in front, against. The "me or X" argument… and some things are simply not eligible for being put on the same scale and be made mutually exclusive.

    Integrity is such a complex word…

    As well, some guys just simply can’t do both things, be successful at work and have a family… To sum up, I think that people should know themselves bit better before marrying… I stand for the passing of a law that nobody can marry "till death tear us apart" until they are 40. Before that, they can marry, but like for a 5 year lease with auto-renewal. 😀

    Reply
  12. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Thanks:)
    Yep, makes sense as for 40 goes…plus if we can live longer it might become 80:D

    Reply
  13. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    BTW, "Elon Musk" is a great name of the main character of a comic who becomes a super hero. For a company name, a product, too. It’s a great name, Elon, Musk, and together Elon Musk. It sounds great, the inflexion goes from Up (E) to Down (lon) and then stays in place, giving closure, like a period (Musk).

    And visually as well, can make it a for a great logo, very balanced 4 letters each word, they all go upwards (no "g"s or "p"s…), the K at the end has this inclination top right "/ " that is very positive. And E and M as initials are good because of their similar bodies, they occupy the same space.

    OK… ok… I’d love to do some samples for him… anytime, just ask. ;D

    Reply
  14. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Gisela, might sound like a crazy idea, but did you think about getting Masters in Europe or something in these terms…? you do not need to listen to me though, I am a crazy person as for getting degrees… my friends fall under my influence in this regard, and go to school, although it helped them (can remember a few)… for some reason i feel like you need another degree:D ok, keeping quiet, good night:) I am personally more motivated by beauty and harmony than competition and power… back to your other comment. Beauty does matter to me.

    Reply
  15. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    Oh, don’t be quiet, it’s very welcome what you say, I take it as a compliment, and for what it is, a great advise and encouragement. I’d actually love to, but I am here in Argentina, and I don’t have the means to continue my formal education, let alone thinking about doing it in Europe. I should get a sponsor to pull the strings in some way to find me a scholarship and the backing funds to live there and all.

    I believe that formal education is like a man’s tie… it’s not totally cool aesthetically, and it’s rather uncomfortable to wear, but it can open doors.

    Meanwhile I got to put my attention in actual work, and keep "informally" up to date, learning constantly "while in the dance floor", so I can get better and do my dance as best as I can…

    If you ever hear about someone interested in investing funds on such a thing as my education, let me know. I’m interested in investing my time and effort. I don’t have the funds. And I’m willing and free of any loads or ties to move temp or permanently elsewhere for such a worthwhile cause. 🙂

    So, you see, your impression and comments are welcome and I do agree! It’s just a matter of circumstances!

    Reply
  16. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Let’s start dreaming about it!!!

    Reply
  17. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    @solerena Deal! 😉

    Reply
  18. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    @gi — ooh, sample logo would be cool. I would be happy to share with him.

    Reply
  19. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Gisela, coming back to education – decide what you want Masters in and then decide on potential locations, there are ton of international students doing the same thing around the globe and many of them do not really have money, there are ton of resources available for this. You are obviously very gifted and intelligent and can pursue different passions/career track. Sometimes for people with multiple talents – it is rather difficult to decide what they want to do. Maybe you have already thought about it.
    Honestly, there is only one type of poverty – the mental stereotype in each person’s head – otherwise the world of infinite for those who can dream, learn, change and act.
    When you will decide – let me know – and other people know, put in on fickr, create a new image of yourself – and you will be there. Set a goal and go for it.

    Reply
  20. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    Thank you sol, really.

    It’s a bit more complicated than that. And I did many of the things you talk about long ago (the girl with talent and no money asking for a grant somewhere). It doesn’t work just like that. And lot less when you are working for a living and also helping out your family. Priorities sometimes are set for you, before you and not the other way around!

    But I share your thoughts. Despite all the obstacles I had, which are quite a lot, I am a self made, goal setter and goal getter myself, that’s what all my life is about. That’s where my talents, if any, come from. I am not gifted, I have lived a lot in my short life. I know a lot about fighting for a dream, making a vision come true. I consider my life an achievement in itself, how it is today, with all its bad things and perfectible things (like going further with formal school)… I cannot agree more with your concept of poverty.

    I am not poor economically either. Some education can be ridiculously expensive, while making it impossible to make a living meanwhile (which I can’t afford to stop doing). Thats is different to being poor. Priorities, again, in front of circumstances.

    We’ll see. I trust my intuition and life path so far… the magic to connect to meaningful and enriching people. 😉 Will keep you posted!

    PD: and certainly, having multiple interests is hard for making a choice. Actually my idea abuot continuing my education is when I get older, go back to school to study epistemology rather than design… Design and communication are steps in the ladder, while Epistemology is more of a destination, as I feel it.

    Reply
  21. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    @Steve Jurvetson Pleased to, wow, thank you!! |-)

    Reply
  22. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    @Angry Shock Epistemology sounds very interesting. Each person and situation is unique. Still there are not only grants but other resources available to get education abroad. Europe has ton of international students. Hope it will work out for you. Keep me posted:) I know each person should do what feels right for her or him, and for their consciousness. I have a career in one field right now and decided to pursue my passions more as hobbies at this point. I really see a lot of beauty in powerful ideas changing the world, in space exploration, amazing technological advances and in many other things (art, design, photography etc); i gravitate naturally to everything beautiful and love to learn, and do not really feel alive otherwise. When i see that beauty or harmony should be restored or corrected, i speak up.
    Although keeping quiet is a lot easier.
    Coming back to Elon, this movie was very beautiful!!!

    Reply
  23. angry shock Avatar
    angry shock

    @solerena Thank sol. It’s already working out fine for me, my work as a career is going great and only forward and upwards. So I can only hope to keep going and making progress, as I can, how I can here and now. 🙂

    Will keep you posted if there’s some new along those lines we are talking about.

    @Steve Jurvetson J, one question that crossed my mind today…

    Are Elon’s ventures disruptive? I ask because, on one hand, he is continuing products and within industries (solar panels, electric cars, space rockets) which already existed… he is making them "evolve" at an obscene speed, but they were there before, and much of the technology used. So this can look as evolutionary change and not revolutionary. On the other hand, he is "intervening" these industries and fields, like with Space exploration, by introducing with a commercial, private corporation in the game, something never seen before; he is making electric cars but comes from another industry with another heritage and worldview, and his vision is changing the automobile industry as it was known. Something similar can be said about to Solarcity.

    So, Is it or not disruptive change? (it doesn’t make a difference in the facts or appreciation, it just helps me understand the concept better)

    Reply
  24. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    “A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men. ”
    Plato

    Reply

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