Should billionaire Elon Musk go to therapy because he “clearly has psychological problems”? According to renowned tech journalist Kara Swisher, the Tesla boss should go to the institute as soon as possible. In an interview with Handelsblatt, she does not shy away from insults: “Elon Musk has simply decided to be an asshole.”
The Silicon Valley expert takes on several powerful figures in the tech industry in her new book, “Burn Book,” focusing on Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom she even knows personally. It chronicles his chameleon-like transformation, from a Democratic supporter under Barack Obama to one of the most ardent and vocal Trump supporters among prominent Americans.
He recently caused a stir when he mockingly offered pop icon Taylor Swift on his platform X to give her a child and take care of her cats. The background was an endorsement from Swift for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, which she signed “childless cat lady.”
Drug use and Corona radicalized Musk
“When Tesla was in trouble, he took out a huge government loan. That saved his company. Then he started insulting the government again,” Swisher told Handelsblatt.
In general, the political direction of Silicon Valley tech executives is their own self-interest. Whatever helps them make the next dollar will be supported. “During the Covid pandemic, he started to radicalize. Then he went further and further down this weird rabbit hole. A lot has been written about his drug use, which I think is part of it,” the author says.
Politically, the influential billionaire has shifted further and further to the right under the Democratic Biden administration. There are also problems with the authorities: “He is currently being investigated by a number of government agencies, including for suspected fraud. SpaceX has a lot of government contracts, and some in Washington fear that this poses a threat to national security,” Swisher tells Handelsblatt. If Donald Trump becomes the future president, Musk wants to do well with him. The entrepreneur is even expected to get a government position.
“He needs therapy, it’s very simple.”
When asked about Musk’s anti-Semitic narratives, warnings about the “woke mind virus” and the proliferation of conspiracy theories, such as transsexual infiltration of state schools on Platform, fell flat for him. He was once delightful and interesting, despite all his flaws. Then he changed completely. He clearly has mental health issues. He simply needs therapy. You know, it’s a sad story, really. “He could have been the next Steve Jobs, but he chose to be Howard Hughes,” says Kara Swisher, referring to aviation pioneer Hughes, who is also considered a brilliant mind but spent the last years of his life in mental disarray.
“Musk decided to be an asshole”
Overall, Swisher points out that Musk was merely the executive behind Tesla, not the founder or even the inventor. While she certainly appreciates the entrepreneur’s achievements and ideas, she speaks out against him: “He just decided to be an asshole.”
But in conclusion, the journalist writes in the German Handelsblatt: “I don’t care at all what happens to Elon Musk. Maybe it will end like Henry Ford. Then I say: Thanks for the cars, Henry! As a human being, you are and will remain an asshole.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
