“Great Leaders Make Things Simple—But Sometimes Err, as Often Seen with Elon Musk”

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Like many others, I find it perplexing that a visionary who has successfully led multiple companies can also appear to be quite naive and susceptible to misinformation in other domains. In one area, he champions “first principles,” delving deep to solve problems and innovate, yet in another, he seems to accept rapid, poorly reasoned assumptions. Why is that?

MAJOR BREAKING NEWS: CBS News Analysis Reveals That the Clear Majority of Tweets By Elon Musk About the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Are Either Misinformation or Disinformation

Yes, the *clear majority*. https://t.co/56ATBk8brL

— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) October 23, 2024

While some critics label Elon Musk as a fool in all matters or merely a clever showman for tech enthusiasts, I don’t align with that perspective for this discussion. However, it has been evident for some time that he often misinterprets social issues and hastily draws sweeping conclusions, especially regarding political topics. (Remember when he endorsed Ye for president?)

Recently, Musk has been disseminating a large volume of misinformation and disinformation. Displaying a lack of awareness of current political events or indifference towards them, he has made claims about Dominion voting systems that have resulted in billions of dollars in damages claimed by the company in legal actions against others. Whether he aims to become the next target for Dominion’s financial claims, is simply uninformed, or knows the truth but risks it anyway, the reality remains that his oversimplified thinking is leading to misinformation. Overall, the CBS News Confirmed team found that 55% of Musk’s posts regarding election security contained misleading or false statements or promoted posts with similar inaccuracies. It’s surprising that this figure wasn’t higher than 55%.

“Further analysis of these posts showed that 40 of the accounts Musk replied to or reposted were accounts that researchers have identified as promoters of voter fraud claims.” This indicates that Musk is operating within a misinformation echo chamber, resulting in a skewed perception of reality on this issue, deprived of essential context. It’s clear that he simplifies the situation, jumping to incorrect conclusions based on that oversimplification.

It still astounds me that not more individuals have sought to understand what transpired on January 6th and the events leading up to it. It is evident that Musk is among those misinformed, a fact that has been apparent for quite a while. I recall his tweet shortly after the incident, which revealed his limited understanding of the circumstances surrounding it. Recently, Musk acknowledged that he is inexperienced in politics and feels overwhelmed. “I have never been materially active in politics before, but this time I think civilization as we know it is on the line,” he posted last month. “If we want to preserve freedom and a meritocracy in America, then Trump must win.” This suggests a naivety in his assumption that endorsing someone who attempted to subvert a lawful and democratic transition of power is the solution for safeguarding civilization and democracy, a notion that stems from simplistic and misguided reasoning.

It’s not that Trump is an exceptional leader; rather, his former vice president’s refusal to endorse him, along with other former Republican officials supporting his Democratic challenger, underscores serious concerns. Individuals within his prior administration, including his former Chief of Staff, have labeled him a fascist who poses a significant threat to American democracy and society.

Additionally, reports have emerged recently indicating that Musk has been in intermittent contact with Putin since 2022, as reported by the conservative Wall Street Journal, with multiple journalists contributing to the article. This could help explain some of the unusual occurrences since then, along with Musk’s tendency to repeat simplistic Russian government narratives on various occasions. While one might interpret Musk’s actions as purely self-serving or malicious, it seems more likely that he is easily swayed by flattery and tends to leap to oversimplified conclusions regarding social and political matters, often incorrectly.

I acknowledge that labeling Musk a “simplistic thinker” is itself a simplistic assessment, and I recognize that there are likely deeper issues at play. However, after observing Musk for twelve years, I believe his success stems partly from his ability to simplify concepts and focus on attainable goals, avoiding distractions that could impede Tesla’s progress. The challenge, especially in the political sphere, is that he seems to seek and repeat simplistic solutions to complex problems. On numerous occasions, he has suggested that nuanced explanations or ideas hold no value. His inability to grasp them does not imply they lack validity.

To conclude, I want to revisit a previous point for further clarification. Remember Musk’s statement: “I have never been materially active in politics before.” This is indeed accurate. He has been deeply involved in areas such as rocket and electric vehicle development, manufacturing, the battery supply chain, software, raising twelve children, and Neuralink, leaving little room for political learning. To navigate these intricate topics, he would need exceptional advisers briefing him on such matters—something he evidently lacks. Instead, he has leaped into complex subjects with significant historical context, quickly assuming that basic explanations from biased sources within his echo chamber are accurate. More worryingly, he has previously received corrections regarding his misinformation—even from his own Community Notes service—yet he has not adjusted his information sources in response, seemingly narrowing his research approach rather than expanding it. This reluctance to adapt is disheartening and troubling.