Money is just a token based game and Elon operates above it. I wasn't being charitable but simply stating the obvious. In a multi-planetary civilization, which is his stated goal, every one of his companies is a necessary piece of the puzzle. People need to move around, materials need to be refined and transported, and there needs to be a communication network that can potentially make autonomous decisions (AI).

I have no reason to believe he doesn't know what he's doing because everything he has done up to now indicates he understands the mechanics of what it means to build a multi-planetary civilization.