The controversy over SolarCity, which has dovetailed with questions about Musk’s mountain of debt and profit shortfalls, offers a window into the mind-set of America’s most outlandish and unpredictable CEO. Musk’s believers argue that the details of his ventures don’t matter: It’s the grand vision that counts. “The guy has a will to make stuff happen that is extraordinary,” says someone who worked closely with Musk. “He willed Tesla to happen. And in willing a reality into existence, he might not stick to the facts.” But in the case of SolarCity, Musk’s penchant for making promises he can’t deliver on turned out to matter a great deal—and could even pose a threat to his entire empire.
I remember someone (I believe it was James Randi) observing that when you presented a true believer with incontrovertible proof that Uri Geller they would often explain away the fraud, arguing that you had to make accommodations for someone who could do the impossible.
Elon Musk didn't will Tesla into existence; he didn't even found it. That doesn't take away from Musk's accomplishments building and promoting the company, but it wasn't magic. When people start describing impressive but ordinary accomplishments in miraculous terms, they start thinking in those terms as well.
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