Elon Musk Is Not What I Need For My Birthday
Une version en français de cet article a été publiée par Le Devoir, 13 février 2025.
As I celebrate my birthday today, typing these words on a device shaped by the creative-destruction model of Silicon Valley—a force that, for better or worse, has transformed our lives over the past half-century—Elon Musk is not what I need for my birthday.
Often hailed as a visionary—a genius entrepreneur supposedly reshaping the future of transportation, space exploration, and artificial intelligence—Musk’s cult-like following portrays him as a once-in-a-generation innovator, a man whose mere presence propels humanity forward with 120-hour work weeks, RedBull and mats on the factory floor. But like many myths, this one crumbles under scrutiny. The world doesn’t need Elon Musk to dictate its future.
This isn’t to say that Tesla, SpaceX, or other Musk-affiliated ventures haven’t contributed to technological progress. I once bought into them myself. But it is now clear that Musk is not the unstoppable force of innovation he sees himself as. Since President Trump's inauguration in particular, the evidence has mounted: what has emerged is not a fearless innovator but an opportunistic businessman who thrives on hype and, at worst, a destabilizing force across industries, public discourse, and now, even democracy.
More Obsessed With Perception Than Truth
For someone who has built his brand on being an uncompromising seeker of truth, Musk seems more preoccupied with controlling the perception of truth.
Take his recent gaming controversy: Musk has long projected himself as a top-tier gamer, boasting about his elite international rankings. But when his gameplay was finally put under public scrutiny, it was embarrassingly amateurish—raising immediate suspicions about how he had reached those levels. When you’re the richest person in the world, the next thing you can buy after material goods is people: from gaming doubles to the staged performances of Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus.
This extends far beyond games. From self-driving promises that remain unfulfilled to exaggerated AI breakthroughs and brain implants that merely repackage decades of prior research, Musk’s obsession isn’t with truth—it’s with selling a version of himself that always appears ahead of the curve.
A Disruptor in the Worst Way
While Musk frames himself as a maverick taking on the establishment, his actual impact is often destructive. His management style—chaotic, impulsive, and driven by personal whims—has led to mass layoffs, lawsuits, and the amplification of conspiracy theories, particularly those that stoke resentment between individuals and social groups.
Consider Twitter (now X), which Musk bought and promptly ran into the ground. His tenure has been a masterclass in reckless decision-making: firing employees en masse, reinstating extremists, and allowing disinformation to thrive. His actions didn’t “fix” Twitter; they turned it into an expensive business failure, a playground for trolls and conspiracy theorists, demonstrating what happens when power is wielded with no regard for responsibility. Quoting Musk himself here: Let that sink in.
The Perils of Unchecked Power
Recent events have laid bare the dangers of Musk’s unbridled influence. Appointed by President Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has initiated sweeping, often ruthless upheavals across federal agencies. His team has gained access to sensitive financial and data systems, sidelined career officials, and dismantled entire agencies that have drawn his ire—or that of his ideological allies.
While improving efficiency and reducing government bureaucracy are reasonable objectives, they require a measured, strategic approach—not arbitrary, heavy-handed decisions and open contempt for public servants.
His interventions have alarmed policymakers, and fortunately, some in the judiciary have begun to push back. These individuals—those resisting this wave of destruction—are the real heroes. Meanwhile, Congress, with midterm elections looming, may finally recognize the rising tide of public outrage. Musk’s unchecked power, combined with his close ties to Trump and glaring business conflicts of interest, has dangerously blurred the lines between corporate influence and government authority—if they weren’t blurred enough already. Or perhaps Musk has simply made them blindingly obvious.
This is precisely why democracies have constitutions, oversight mechanisms, and a judiciary—to guard against individuals who believe themselves above the system.
A Future Beyond Musk
Elon Musk has undoubtedly left his mark on technology, business, and now even governance. But at this point, his oversized influence raises urgent questions about accountability, sustainability, and the concentration of power in private hands. Rather than continuing to accumulate influence across industries and governments, Musk could make a far greater impact by stepping back from direct control and using his wealth and platform to serve the greater good.
Imagine a future where Musk, instead of disrupting democratic institutions or chasing personal rivalries, channels his resources into solving fundamental challenges—advancing truly sustainable technology beyond electric cars, funding open-source AI research with ethical oversight, or supporting global education, healthcare, and scientific inquiry. He could pioneer radical philanthropy, investing in knowledge and sustainability over personal empire-building. That is the legacy history would remember.
Right now, however, he is barreling toward the trash heap of Western civilization, remembered not as a visionary but as a cautionary tale of unchecked power, hubris, and squandered potential.
Or, if he truly believes in the promise of interplanetary civilization, he could lead by example—boarding the first Mars colony ship and leaving Earth’s governance to those who remain.
The world doesn’t need Musk to control its future, but there is still room for him to contribute to it—if he chooses to do so with wisdom, humility, and a genuine commitment to the collective good.
Sylvain Baillet, Montreal QC.
This post reflects only my personal opinions.
p.s.: This text was posted on X earlier today, tagging Musk. The post was deleted minutes later—how low, yet predictable. I have reposted it without tagging Musk. In my opinion, it is essential for academics and other supposedly wokes to remain active on X, while also increasing our presence on other platforms like BlueSky and LinkedIn. I see this is as a token of coexistence with folks who may hold radically divergent views. #coexist.