He does far more than write checks and even if that was truly all he did the fact that he put his personal wealth into both Tesla and then SpaceX when there was no reasonable expectation for success is on its own highly commendable.

Nobody built rockets the way SpaceX does, and SpaceX - full-stop - would not exist without his involvement.

I find his personality and views largely repugnant, but denigrating his accomplishments is beyond the pale.

Obnoxious tweets and incendiary messaging does not mean we ought not appreciate his impact.