The #1 New York Times bestseller by the acclaimed biographer of Steve Jobs offers an extraordinary and deeply personal look into the life of one of the most compelling and controversial innovators of our time. This is the story of Elon Musk—a boundary-pushing visionary who revolutionized electric vehicles, redefined private space exploration, and advanced artificial intelligence. Oh, and he also took over Twitter.
Growing up in South Africa, Musk endured relentless bullying. One traumatic incident left him hospitalized for a week after being pushed down concrete steps and brutally kicked. Yet, the physical wounds paled in comparison to the emotional scars inflicted by his father—an engineer whose charisma and erratic behavior left a lasting impact on Musk’s psyche. Shaped by these experiences, Musk emerged as a complex figure: a resilient yet volatile individual with dramatic mood swings, a high tolerance for risk, a thirst for excitement, and an unyielding focus on his epic missions—traits that could be both inspiring and destructive.
By 2022, Musk had cemented his position as a global titan. SpaceX had launched 31 rockets, Tesla had sold over a million cars, and he had become the richest person on Earth. Yet, amid his monumental achievements, Musk reflected on his relentless drive and chaotic lifestyle. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life,” he admitted. It wasn’t a resolution, more a wistful acknowledgment of his nature. At the same time, he was secretly acquiring shares of Twitter—a platform he viewed as the ultimate playground. For Musk, the playground metaphor held deep resonance, harking back to his memories of being bullied as a child. Now, he had the opportunity to own it.
For two years, Walter Isaacson shadowed Musk, joining him in meetings, touring factories, and conducting extensive interviews with his family, friends, colleagues, and critics. The result is an intimate, unflinching portrait of a man whose extraordinary triumphs and tumultuous personal life provoke a profound question: are the demons that drive Musk also what fuels innovation and progress?
