Why do so many young people look up to Elon Musk these days?”
I just came across a story about Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
Bill Gates had placed a massive short position against Tesla, reportedly around $1 billion. Musk asked him directly: “Why did you do that? Why short Tesla?”
Gates replied: “I talked to my financial advisors and looked at the data. They believe Tesla’s valuation is overinflated, so I’m shorting it to make some money.”
Musk responded: “Why do you care so much about making money? I thought you cared about electric vehicles, climate change, and saving the world. What are you actually doing? How can you bet on the failure of a company that’s genuinely advancing electric vehicles just to make a bit of profit?”
Then Musk turned away in disappointment and left.
This story really stuck with me.
A lot of people claim to care about the climate and the future, but when money is on the line, they still prioritize profit. People like Musk, who put the mission above money, are becoming rarer and rarer.
Someone as pure as him is worthy of our respect.