Elon Musk is the richest man alive. His net worth of 415 billion USD is greater than the GDP of 174 of 212 countries.
Elon Musk believes that his DNA is so desirable that he offers to give his semen away for free to any woman who wants it.
Elon Musk purchases Twitter, renames it X, uses the social media platform to share his gospel to the world, and somehow becomes a Svengali-like advisor to President-elect Trump.
Elon Musk revels in the rapturous attention of MAGA crowds, dancing and twirling around like a maniacal celebrity.
Money. Sex. Power. Fame.
Elon Musk is the epitome of someone who is being driven by the basest of instincts.
Elon Musk used to do great things.
Elon Musk co-founded PayPal and simplified financial transactions.
Elon Musk established Tesla and proved the feasibility of electric vehicles.
Elon Musk re-imagined low-orbit space travel through SpaceX.
Elon Musk developed the Star Link network of communication satellites.
Elon Musk co-founded Neuralink to develop a computer-brain interface that may prove to be a medical breakthrough.
These are great things.
But now, he does nothing but glorify himself. Elon Musk has become a great disappointment. What a waste of intellect and imagination.
At the turn of the century, i.e., 1900, there was another man who was an industrialist and one of the richest men in the world. His name was Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Steel Company, which later became part of the U.S. Steel Corporation. In 1889, at the age of 54, he wrote an article, “The Gospel of Wealth,” in which he stated that the rich should use their wealth to improve society. He supported progressive taxation and an inheritance tax, and by the end of his life had given away 90% of his wealth to philanthropic causes.
Andrew Carnegie funded Carnegie Hall, the Peace Palace in the Hague, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Carnegie Mellon University, the Carnegie Hero Fund, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Institute for Science, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York – a philanthropic organization.
Elon Musk will be 54 years old in June. He seems to be the antithesis of Andrew Carnegie. Elon Musk shows no sense of higher purpose, no empathy or understanding of the life experience of others, nor any interest in leaving this world a better place than how it was when he came into it. Elon Musk seems to believe that his business endeavors alone will ultimately be of such great benefit to humanity that he needs to do nothing more.
Isn’t it ironic that Elon Musk’s idea of benefiting humanity begins with his own enrichment?
This is clearly not what Andrew Carnegie had in mind when he wrote about the responsibility of the wealthy to make the world a better place.
But why single Elon Musk out? Every mega billionaire has a foundation, seemingly more as a virtue signal and a tax haven than as an actual philanthropic organization. For every mega yacht that burns more fuel in an hour than an average household uses in a month, there is a private jet that burns more fuel in an hour than an average vehicle uses in 10 years. Being excessively wealthy means never having to question your sense of entitlement.
The United States has over 800 billionaires, with a collective worth of over 6 trillion USD. Think about what so much wealth could do for our society if spent wisely. We need to expect more from those who control so much, not admire them simply because they have so much.
What might a wise use of such wealth be? How about creating 800 start-up non-profit manufacturing companies located in economically depressed areas of the country? This would provide opportunities for the disadvantaged among us to live a decent life, as well as reversing fifty years of manufacturing atrophy that has weakened this country. What better way to break the chains that bind us so tightly to Chinese manufacturing?
In the end, of course, all of their wealth will mean nothing to them, these billionaires. Look at the Pharaohs, entombed with great treasure for their enjoyment in the afterlife. The Pharaohs are gone, mummified or turned to dust, yet their treasure remains behind in their tombs, displayed in museums, or stolen by thieves.
Would it not be better to follow the example of Andrew Carnegie and leave behind a legacy of good works instead of leaving behind wealth that was accumulated over a lifetime but was ultimately wasted, its potential unrealized because of greed and thoughtlessness?