Elon Musk is not a savior, he’s a grifter

In 2013, Elon Musk proposed the Hyperloop, a pressurized high-speed tube system that would reach speeds up to 700 miles per hour and connect the state in record time, as an alternative to California’s high-speed rail project. The future of the project looked promising from the start. Competitions were held to build the fastest pod and The Boring Company, another company of Musk’s, was created in part to fulfill the tunneling requirements to achieve the Hyperloop in reality. Some even saw this proposal as an alternative that could efficiently solve California’s traffic problems 

More than 10 years later and nothing much remains of Musk’s plan besides three holes drilled and a Hyperloop testing site turned into a parking lot. What was once a promising proposal turned out to be nothing more than one man’s disdain for a high-speed rail system and an attempt to control transportation in a state where limiting the sale of cars would undeniably hurt his overall earnings. This is the ruse of Elon Musk. Time and time again, Musk pushes to influence everything he can get his hands on, from social media to transportation to elections. And now, in his greatest endeavor, he is interfering in the federal government, seemingly due to an innate desire to be seen as a savior. As time and the truth reveals, he does it for his own gain, even if it means breaking everything else he comes across.

Much like the Hyperloop project, which Musk likely made in an attempt to shore up control over transportation in the state of California, he frames the innovations he backs as beneficial to humanity when, really, they primarily benefit him. Musk accumulates popular support from both casual viewers and worshipers of his endeavors, combined with the prose that his work is important to the saving of America, or, more broadly put, society. Once he establishes support, Musk can begin his grift.

Take his acquisition of Twitter as an example of this plan in action. Musk likely saw Twitter as something that was suppressing his messaging and his views, so he decided to take it over. Publicly, Musk frames this action as him saving free speech and trying to preserve X as the “digital town square” of the internet. But policy on speech didn’t substantially change after his takeover of the company. Suspension of users increased, and Musk promoted users with similar views through buying verification and alleged algorithm changes. 

Amore recent example of Musk’s attempt to act as a savior to its fullest extent was the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. He injected more than $20 million into the election campaign for conservative candidate Brad Schimel while claiming the election would decide the fate of “Western civilization,” in addition to hosting a million-dollar lottery for voters who signed his petition in opposition to judges seen as activists. But much like his Hyperloop proposal and acquisition of Twitter, Musk likely saw this election as a means to put his party in control of the state Supreme Court, which could help redistrict parts of the state in the federal party’s favor and enact friendly policies for his companies. But unlike other big-money donors who contribute to their preferred political cause, Musk’s party backing affects him as a temporary government employee and close advisor to President Donald Trump.

While all these examples show a man trying to gain control of his presentation as a savior, say he really does have an onus to save society, like he claims.In some cases, Musk may even come off as someone who genuinely cares about some of the issues he brings up. Goals like inhabiting Mars and promoting an eco-friendly future seem to appear as something that he genuinely cares about, at least on the outside. But even these goals are tainted when we remember that he has a business stake in both of these goals, in addition to his role in a presidential administration that is against all electric vehicles except for Musk’s. Of course, no one can know how pure his intentions really are, but it doesn’t look good when time and time again he has shown himself to only work for his own benefit. 

The story of Musk is a cautionary tale, and two lessons can be gleaned from his actions. First, worshiping false idols is an easy way to get duped in the future. Recently, Musk has shown that he can renege on his promises when the result doesn’t go his way. Look at the Hyperloop, X and the Wisconsin Supreme Court — in each of these cases, his supporters did not get what they truly wanted, but his image and politics still benefitted. Second, and just as importantly, being a grifter comes back to hurt you in the long run — not always monetarily, but in the eyes of those who are closest to you. While Musk may have believed he could buy everything and everyone he’s ever wanted, he forgot that the price includes more than just money; it requires honesty and integrity. And it’s likely why he’s rumored to leave his position at Department of Government Efficiency after establishing it just a few months prior — not only due to his position as a temporary government employee, but also due to him allegedly butting heads with the president. 

In my final column, I want to end with a guiding message: Don’t trust those who promise you everything in return for nothing. Put your trust in those who display real leadership, even if it isn’t easy. This means putting support behind those who embody honesty, integrity and courage, because those three virtues are what can save us from people who look to exploit us for their benefit and destroy everything we have worked for. Additionally, this leadership must come from someone who wants to lead because it is in an effort to strive for something greater, not for personal gain or power. Although real leadership may seem like a thing of the past, it still exists today. There are people all around the world, and even in our communities and classrooms, that display it. And when you find it, work to not only support it as best you can, whether that’s through following them or helping them when needed. But also strive to be like them, because the more people we have who display real leadership in our world, the better off we will be.

Thomas Muha is an Opinion Columnist and can be reached at tmuha@umich.edu. His column “Internet Insight” discussed the legal and economic issues facing the internet today.

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