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| The full poll is here. |
People used to love
Elon Musk. Less than a year ago, he had the highest Net Favourable rating of any public figure, which I reported
here.
Now he's the least popular. His net has turned around no less that 21 percentage points to the negative. See above. Or here.
I've assumed that most of the hate was from Democrats, who love to hate on Trump and so now hate on Elon, Trump's main man to cut government waste, fraud and abuse via the DOGE. I've seen them in Vox pops from various demos around the country, my own demographic, aging white baby boomers, mostly full of it -- misinformation that is, that they're regurgitating from MSNBC and CNN.
They'll say things like "Teslas are not good quality and they've got safety issues", when the opposite is the case. The Tesla model Y is the best selling car in the world, of all types, EV and ICE and they constantly top the safety charts. They'll moan about "killing veterans, impoverishing the elderly, going after Medicare and Medicaid", all wrong and provably so.
I'd thought that those leftie baby boomers were the main haters on Elon.
Turns out though, that there are some haters on Elon much closer to home. And to them I say: "What is your beef with Elon? Why don't you like him?" Give me a few reasons. I'll wait.
Meantime, I'll set down my reasons why I do like Elon. Why I'm a fully paid up member of the Elon Fan-boy club.
1. The number of companies that he's established
Since 1995 he's established 11 companies, all of them life-changing. He has created almost $US 2 Trillion dollars in value.
SpaceX, founded by Musk in 2002, is a trailblazer in making space accessible and advancing humanity’s cosmic ambitions, slashing launch costs with reusable rockets like Falcon 9 (~$62–67 million per launch vs. $1.5 billion for the Space Shuttle), landing 246 rockets in 2024 and deploying Starlink’s 7,500+ satellites. Its Starship, aiming for Mars missions to build a city of 1 million by 2050, has already achieved milestones like the 2024 orbital test, saving NASA billions through contracts (e.g., $1.6 billion for ISS resupply) while employing 20,000 innovators.
2. The number of people he has given employment to
Nearly 200,000 people are employed at his companies, in jobs that pay well above the average.
3. The number of investors he's enriched
Just from TSLA alone he has enriched the 12 million people invested in that company. Since its IPO in 2010, Tesla stock has grown an unprecedented 28,089%. This comes out to a CAGR of 86%, well above the next highest performing companies in their first 15 years since IPO:
4. His impact on climate change abatementTesla and SolarCity (now part of Tesla) have reduced the amount of annual carbon dioxide released into the air by around 25 to 27 million metric tonnes per year.
I have not been able to find another single individual who has had comparable practical impact on the warming emissions of the globe, which we are constantly assured by the Left is a "climate emergency". To the extent that it is indeed an emergency, the single most impactful person in facing that emergency is Elon Musk and his companies. But folks on the left hate on him anyway.
5. Starlink gives internet to the masses
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet constellation provides high-speed, low-latency internet globally, especially in underserved areas.
It transforms humanity by delivering high-speed connectivity to over 2.6 million users in 100+ countries, especially in remote and disaster-stricken areas, enabling education, economic growth, and emergency response.
Starlink bridges the digital divide, supports scientific research, and enhances national security, with its 7,500+ satellites saving lives (e.g., Ukraine, Hurricane Helene) and driving ~$500 billion in potential GDP growth by 2030.
6. Neuralink gives back independence for people with disabilities
There is the very real prospect of Musk's Neuralink company restoriging sight for the blind, hearing for the deaf, mobility for the quadriplegic.
Neuralink’s primary focus is helping those with severe neurological conditions, like quadriplegia, ALS, or spinal cord injuries, regain control over their lives. The N1 implant allows users to control devices (e.g., computers, phones, wheelchairs) with their thoughts alone.
Neuralink could revolutionize treatment for conditions like Parkinson’s, epilepsy, depression, and Alzheimer’s by precisely stimulating brain regions or restoring lost neural connections.
And that's just one of Musk's companies! One that is rarely mentioned. What have you done today, you Musk haters?
7. The Boring company is revolutionising transport
Building underground tunnels to reduce traffic congestion, cut commute times, and lower carbon emissions, making cities more livable and sustainable for millions.
Its Vegas Loop, operational since 2021, has transported over 2 million passengers by 2025, proving efficient, electric-powered transit, while projects like the proposed D.C.–Baltimore hyperloop aim to connect regions, boost economies, and align with Musk’s vision of a greener, faster future.
And now... drum roll.... to Musk's BIG VISION
8. Elon Musk's driving vision is to make life multiplanetary
All of the above fit into that overall vision:
Elon Musk’s vision to make humanity multiplanetary, to ensure our species’ survival by building self-sustaining colonies on Mars. SpaceX’s Starship is designed to ferry 100+ people and cargo for a city of 1 million by 2050, powered by reusable rocket tech that’s slashed launch costs (e.g., $62–67 million per Falcon 9 vs. $1.5 billion for the Space Shuttle) and Starlink’s revenue from 2.6 million users.
His vision is driven by his fear of existential threats like asteroids or AI. It leverages Neuralink to enhance human cognition for space exploration, Tesla’s sustainable energy for Martian habitats and The Boring Company’s tunneling for underground Mars bases, uniting his 186,000-strong workforce in a cosmic endeavour.
Tesla’s Optimus robots will build habitats on Mars to mine resources. Production of Optimus is scaling from 2025 to deploy thousands of human-like bots capable of 200+ tasks, reducing human risk and accelerating colony growth. By integrating Optimus with SpaceX’s logistics, Neuralink’s brain-machine interfaces, and Tesla’s energy systems, Musk aims to create a robust Martian economy for humanity to become a “spacefaring civilization”.
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That's it for me. That's my case for why I'm a fan of Elon Musk.
He's created Trillions of dollars in wealth. He's changed to the world for the better. His companies will continue to do so. He has employed nearly 200,000 people in high-paying, rewarding jobs. He has enriched the shareholders of his public companies beyond imagination.
And he has a big, a huge, vision that all of this is part of. What's not to like?
What? You still don't? Still don't like? Well, over to you, you "I don't like Musk" people. What is it you don't like? That he sends silly tweets. That he likes Donald Trump? That he's a Nazi??
If you think you might come up with the "Elon Musk has just made his money from government grants and subsidies; he's no great businessman" line, be prepared for I have the rebuttal!
