Controversial tech mogul Elon Musk believes in changing lives and changing the world, a new book reveals

Reviewer: Giyani Baloi
Tittle: Elon Musk: Tesla Bet of the Century
Author:  Tm Higgins
Publisher:  Penguin Books

I had heard about the South African born Elon Musk making headlines with his Tesla electric car company in America a few years ago. But he didn’t appear like someone who associated himself with Africa that much except that he was born in South Africa.

In most of his interviews, he only talks more about his electric cars, space stations, and other businesses. But still, when I came across his book, I felt like, let me have it. You will never know a book or a person until you read it or read about them. He recently started making more headlines with his involvement in American politics. Then I said to myself, “Let me read this book so that I can have a better understanding of who Elon Musk is.”

The book traces Elon Musk from Canada, where he did his first science degree before moving to the USA. He is a person fascinated with starting technological businesses. His first business break-through came after selling Zip2, an online navigation company that he had started with his brother. From there, the sky was the limit, as they say.

He invested in an electric car start-up company, Tesla, and became its Chief Executive Officer. He is a controversial figure who is a dreamer and control freak. He pegged most of the people he started the company with for various reasons and consolidated powers to himself. He believes everything is possible, sometimes wildly so. Some people may not agree with his ways. But the proof of the goodness of his ways and methods is there for everyone to see. He is on the top list of the richest people on earth.

He believes in changing lives and changing the world. His space station is also making inroads and therefore propelling him further up wealthy wise.

But it came at a price. He got married three times and divorced three times. It’s not easy to have it buttered on both sides. You put all your energy, effort, and focus on achieving your goals, and your relationship suffers on the other hand.

Elon was recently included in Donald Trump’s cabinet as one of the advisors. But, it didn’t take long before cracks started to show, partly because business and politics are like water and oil. Besides, Elon Musk himself is very out spoken and sometimes controversial, just like his counterpart Donald Trump.

Recently, they were some wild allegations that there is white genocide in South Africa. I wondered if the South African born Trump advisor had a hand in that. Suddenly, white South Africans are now important to America. Especially to Trump’s administration. Even though they are many people who are dying in worse wars like in Congo, Palestine, Ukraine, and other places  

The book itself is not an authorized one. Elon Musk said that a few of what is written in this book are true. But the rest is nonsense. But, sometimes, we are our on worst enemies. It’s not easy to know our on flaws. But sometimes you can also be misread. I heard that there is a new book on Elon Musk. I am looking forward to reading it too. May be the truth is in between.