Big complex projects have long planning horizons.  Elon Musk doesn’t operate that way.  In 3 or 4 years, he expects to launch a manned mission to Mars.  In 8 or 9 years, a productive Mars colony is expected to be operating.

Elon Musk is winding up his work with DOGE.  In his time in Washington, unfortunate things have been said about Musk.

The congressional representative from New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said, that Elon Musk is  “one of the most unintelligent billionaires that I have ever met or seen.”  Maybe, but he is getting more done in a public and transparent way, than anyone else in the world.

The senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, accused Elon Musk of being criminally corrupt in his work with the federal government.  Musk doesn’t need the government, and will be completely funding the colonization of Mars through his Starlink internet satellite enterprise.

Nikola Tesla isn’t admired for his ability to relate to people.  His best friend may have been a pigeon, but the electrical grids everywhere in the world depend on his inventions.  Albert Einstein isn’t held in high esteem for his devotion to his marriage vows.  He cheated on and divorced his first wife to marry his cousin, but he did revolutionize physics when most of science thought everything was figured out.

Extraordinary people are not ordinary.

Elon Musk is a strange guy.  He is an awkward public speaker and can be provocative on social media.  Musk works fast, learns by watching what breaks and makes unimaginable improvements.  He isn’t afraid.  Musk is impressive because he dominates in diverse, highly technical industries.  Tesla ignited the electric vehicle industry, Neurolink is making big gains in allowing paralyzed people to function and SpaceX has made space flight economically feasible.

Elon Musk has done more than anyone in the world to make the 21st century feel like the optimistic future that was hoped for when the Space Race began in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union.  You don’t have to like the guy, but he is doing impressive work.

Elon Musk delivering a SpaceX update in May, 2025.