> Some of the things Elon and team are trying to accomplish, could materially change my life
Like what specifically?
> Why wouldn’t you want to be a fan of the things he is doing?
I guess I could be a fan of what he is doing, but not how he is doing it. A few reasons:
- Concentration of wealth to him personally at the expense of my tax dollars (just look at how much of Tesla has been subsidized by the government)
- Tesla is questionably a sustainable company. I think Musk is a visionary from a product/market perspective, but his operating capabilities are questionable.
- You don't need cheerleaders for a more sustainable environment, you need paying customers of environmentally friendly products/services and operators who are fiscally responsible to deliver those goods. I would be cheering like you if he spent more time figuring out how to make his supply chain sustainable and less time touting himself on twitter and attacking his perceived enemies.
- He's demonstrated that he believes he is above the law (SEC) and above respectful discourse ("pedo" comments). Certainly not the type of leader I want my future kids to follow.
I grew up watching Michael Jordan and was a huge fan of what MJ did for the game of basketball. As I grew older, I learned he has a huge gambling problem (that got him into a lot of trouble), he regularly bullied players (teammates and friendly opponents) and is generally not a likable person.
In other words, the end doesn't justify the means for me.
Owning an electric vehicle. I'm currently starting a house remodel, if I could afford the solar roof, I would get one. I still may get the power wall as an energy backup. The price points of these are all high, but the assumption is that as the tech and supply improve, the price drops.
> Concentration of wealth to him personally at the expense of my tax dollars
Agree Elon has accumulated a lot of wealth but he also invests a lot of his wealth into businesses and takes risks with his money. Capitalism rewards people with more wealth if they are good at what they do, I don't mind that. I also don't think he hoards it in the same way as other billionaires. RE Subsidies - other energy companies also receive large subsidies. I may not agree with subsidizing these companies but I prefer to subsidize clean energy ventures vs coal.
> Tesla is questionably a sustainable company.
We should all find out in the next year or two, will be fun to watch.
> I think Musk is a visionary from a product/market perspective, but his operating capabilities are questionable.
If first part is true, does second part matter? Not to me.
> You don't need cheerleaders for a more sustainable environment, you need paying customers of environmentally friendly products/services and operators who are fiscally responsible to deliver those goods. I would be cheering like you if he spent more time figuring out how to make his supply chain sustainable and less time touting himself on twitter and attacking his perceived enemies.
Totally agree with you on this part.
> I grew up watching Michael Jordan and was a huge fan of what MJ did for the game of basketball. As I grew older, I learned he has a huge gambling problem (that got him into a lot of trouble), he regularly bullied players (teammates and friendly opponents) and is generally not a likable person.
Good points. I think Elon should give his teams more credit and I've read stories he can be an asshole- I'm not a supporter of the Steve Jobs bullying mindset and believe you can succeed while being nice. Maybe this is one of his biggest areas for improvement. But I've also seen a lot of interviews where Elon seems sensitive, kind of misunderstood and like he really cares about doing a good job and doing the right thing. He's definitely not perfect and I think people expect him to be which has got to be tough.