What Elon Musk and Bill Gates Might Have in Common

“Musk still seems to have his wits about him when managing his other companies, when speaking on longform podcasts, or when staying conveniently on message with regard to China. So what is it about X that is specifically causing Musk to lose his composure and his business sense?”

The company formerly known as Twitter has not been good for Elon Musk. It has been a terrible investment, a distraction from his other companies, and has caused significant harm to his reputation. Following the recent incident where he told advertisers who left the platform to “Go f— yourself,” it seems obvious to many people that Musk is legitimately losing his mind. “He’s clearly turning into Howard Hughes,” Kara Swisher declared.

There are certainly similarities between Musk and Hughes, the “crazy aviators” as Forbes dubbed them in 2019. But this comparison seems premature. While Musk might be showing signs of mental instability, so far his craziness is contained primarily to issues involving X. Musk still seems to have his wits about him when managing his other companies, when speaking on longform podcasts, or when staying conveniently on message with regard to China. So what is it about X that is specifically causing Musk to lose his composure and his business sense?

If there is a rational answer to this question, it likely has something to do with Musk’s novel perspective on philanthropy. Musk is not known for his philanthropy. Among billionaires, he ranks among the lowest in philanthropic giving. He defends this record by arguing that his companies are a form of philanthropy because they all exist to serve humanity.

At the 2022 Met Gala, a reporter from Entertainment Tonight asked Musk why he spent $44 billion buying Twitter when he could have used that money for charity or philanthropy. Musk answered: “Well, I do do a lot of things philanthropically. My companies are intended to do good for the future of humanity…With Tesla trying to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport and energy, and SpaceX is providing Internet to the least served people around the world.”