Elon Musk, the 42-year-old investor, inventor and business magnate behind technologies and products including PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, Solar City and the new Hyperloop transportation concept has captured the imagination of people around the world who are wealthy enough to take advantage of his impressive accomplishments.
And that raises an important question about Musk himself and his motivation.
PayPal revolutionized online payments and made the internet a viable commercial option facilitating financial transactions. SpaceX was developed as national governments began to get out of the low earth orbit space business and contract with private companies to do their heavy lifting in no-gravity environments. Tesla makes electric vehicles with next generation technology including the infrastructure to support long-range travel. SolarCity develops and installs power supplies for homes that operate by generating electricity from the sun. And Hyperloop pods will transport people from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes using a combination of air suction, vacuum and electric pulses.
The common vision among these businesses and ideas is leading edge technology in service of lifestyle. There are similarities between Musk and Steve Jobs, however Jobs created completely new categories of consumer products with the ipod and ipad with price points far more accessible to more people compared with Musk's product assortment.
From a marketing perspective, Musk catering to people of means within the First World with expensive products is equally as viable as creating a product within financial reach of and desirable to the majority of the rest of the world.
The technology Musk refined in online finance, electric car batteries and solar power cells has earned him the #66 ranking on the Forbes 400 list. He is ranked #61 on the Forbes list of the world's most powerful people. It will be interesting to see whether Musk uses the word "influential" to define "powerful."
There are 7.1 billion people on the planet. Elon Musk has the power of opportunity to make a positive difference in the way the developing world travels, communicates and conserves resources. Several worthwhile programs spearheaded by others already exist. For example, click here to read about Crosby Menzies and Solar Cookers International.
Let's hope Musk's best work is still ahead of him and that his vision is big enough to benefit the entire planet.
