Makes sense as Elon is a Trump advisor. Also interestingly missing: Amazon.
He is betting that the court system as well as Congress will limit Donald Trump and his cronies from doing something that is grounds for impeachment - and so Donald Trump will be in office for the entire term. Given this, it makes sense to be in a position that has at least a tiny bit of influence on Trump.
Amazon has a similar position: they need large amounts of (immigrant) labor for their warehouses, but also are extremely dependent on free trade, especially import tariffs. So, they're likely afraid of openly defying Donald Trump, because they fear that Trump could retaliate against them.
The other companies which are on the list (except Apple!) are a hard target for Trump as they do not depend on overseas goods import and thus cannot be hit by import tariffs - the only way to hit them is by deporting the foreign workers they already have, and the courts have shown they won't let pass deportations of legal immigrants. So, for these companies it's relatively easy to sign.
Musk wants to see a self sustaining, fossil fuel free civilisation, and a backup off site. I'm not saying it's morally right, in fact it might be straight out of Machiavelli ideas, but you are right in that it's a long position.
If somebody doesn't believe Trump will be in office for the entire term, they are deluded.
The problem is that it would take a really epic scandal to get Trump formally impeached - you need a 2/3 majority, and even the stuff Trump has done already was not enough to organize an impeachment.
The other obvious solution might be that someone kills or maims Trump, but no one wants that. No matter how evil Trump is, murder is NOT a solution. Actually, it might even cause civil war if Trump or one of his cronies is assassinated, and the consequences are unimaginable.
Eventually someone might stop him from using the insecure phone to tweet with, too. Right on cue he points out how much he already lives in a self-selected news "bubble": https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/82857443080053964... "Any negative polls are fake news"
(not a comment on President Truman so much as an opportunity to make a joke about the Truman Show)
Evil is a theological assessment.
Do people really believe Trump (or other politicians) are some kind of evil incarnate, constantly thinking about how to do harm?
It's just people with different values and different approaches on the world. Of course not all approaches are equally valid, and some can be said to be evil or harmful etc, but nothing Trump ever did can warrant the person is particularly bad -- or that different from most politicians and businessmen for that matter.
When you brag about sexually assaulting women whilst your wife is pregnant or the callous, baseless attacks on minorities and the weak you really are the lowest of the low.
He didn't say about "sexually assaulting" women as if he's some rapist. Just that if some are rich/famous they'll be open to them, and let them "grab them by the, etc". Which, in many cases, it's true (and it's their choice if they prefer the rich guy with the yaughts, not an assault).
In any case, nothing more or less, than half of the US talks about between male friends (female friends can say even worse stuff).
Is that a big deal? Or just puritanism? Millions of Americans have for example cheated on their wives, when they were pregnant. And likewise for women in relationships.
It's nice to pretend it's all some happy-go-lucky PC world, where there's nothing but respect in families etc, but it's nothing like that.
That doesn't mean all those people are "morally bankrupt", just that they are human.
He's also playing the short game. Sucking up to Trump is a smart business move when you're in industries that could be adversely affected by a relaxing of energy regulations or a reduction in funding for space programs.
Just a shame Musk doesn't own up to it.