Elon Musk (Isaacson book)
| Company type | Biography |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | September 12, 2023 |
| Founder | Walter Isaacson |
| Products | Biography book |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
Elon Musk is an authorized biography of the entrepreneur Elon Musk, penned by Walter Isaacson, a former executive at CNN, TIME, and the Aspen Institute. Isaacson is known for his bestselling biographies on figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Leonardo da Vinci. This book was released on September 12, 2023, through Simon & Schuster.
Background
In August 2021, Musk revealed that Isaacson was undertaking his biography, mentioning that Isaacson had already spent several days observing him. Over the next two years, Isaacson closely documented Musk’s activities, including visits to SpaceX and various Tesla manufacturing sites, as well as participation in board meetings. The biography draws from comprehensive interviews with Musk himself, alongside his family members, associates, and rivals.
Isaacson was present during significant events like Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and the founding of his AI venture, XAI. The narrative also incorporates correspondence from Ukrainian official Mykhailo Fedorov. Isaacson noted that despite Musk’s unpredictable nature, he never sought to censor any part of the biography.
Contents
Isaacson characterizes Musk as someone "addicted to drama."
Claim regarding deactivation of Crimean Starlink coverage
The biography disclosed allegations that in 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Musk directed Starlink to disable Ukrainian drone access, thereby preventing an assault on Russian naval forces in Crimea.<ref> Musk refuted this claim, asserting that satellites in the area had not been activated.<ref> This accusation sparked criticism suggesting Musk intentionally hindered Ukrainian military efforts.<ref> Subsequently, Isaacson withdrew this assertion, clarifying that Starlink coverage was not available over Crimea before the attack, mirroring the situation in other Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.<ref>
The Washington Post issued a correction to Isaacson’s account, explaining that Musk had restricted coverage within a 100 km radius of Crimea prior to the incident and declined Ukrainian requests to enable it.<ref> Comparable corrections were published by The Guardian and CNN.<ref>
Isaacson explained that Musk’s policy limiting Starlink use for operations targeting Crimea existed before the Ukrainian offensive and was unknown to Ukrainian forces.<ref> Ukrainian general Kyrylo Budanov expressed doubt about direct interference by Musk but confirmed Starlink service was unavailable near Crimea during that timeframe.<ref>
Reception
Before its release, the biography reached the top position on Amazon’s bestseller list and debuted at number one on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller chart for the week ending September 16, 2023.
Jennifer Szalai of The New York Times described Isaacson as a "patient chronicler of obsession," though occasionally overly lenient with Musk. Brian Merchant from the Los Angeles Times criticized the conventional "great man" biography approach and Isaacson’s portrayal of Musk as a "moody but brilliant world-mover," noting that unfavorable stories were exchanged for an assumed greatness.
In The Guardian, Gary Shteyngart labeled the book a "dull, insight-free doorstop," challenging Isaacson’s evaluations—such as calling vaccine skeptic Joe Rogan "knowledgeable" and describing Musk’s humor as having "many levels." He also referred to Musk's CEO Linda Yaccarino as "wickedly smart," despite her seemingly awkward demeanor.
Constance Grady from Vox praised the book's thorough research but argued it "asks all the wrong questions." Jill Lepore of The New Yorker observed that Isaacson’s work depicts Musk as possessing vast power yet remaining disconnected from humanity. She highlighted the biography’s concluding lines:
"Sometimes great innovators are risk-seeking man-children who resist potty training... They can be reckless, cringeworthy, sometimes even toxic. They can also be crazy. Crazy enough to think they can change the world."
Elizabeth Lopatto of The Verge criticized Isaacson for not delving deeper into investigations, especially concerning unconfirmed claims about Starlink shutdowns. She accused Isaacson of acquiescing to social media challenges posed by Musk and omitting details that could undermine Musk's carefully crafted image.
Vivian Wilson's Critique
During an interview with NBC News, Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged eldest child, condemned the book for its inaccuracies and perceived unfairness. She disputed the portrayal of herself as a "radical Marxist" and objected to the use of the pseudonym "Jenna." Isaacson derived this characterization from Christiana Musk, spouse of Elon’s brother Kimbal Musk, but did not reach out to Vivian directly before the book’s release, despite asserting attempts to contact her through other family members.
In August, Wilson took to Threads to declare that Isaacson never communicated with her and labeled the biography as "genuinely defamatory." She accused it of disregarding her firsthand account, minimizing her transgender identity, and distorting her reasons for estrangement by casting her as "naive," "stupid," and "an irredeemable human being." According to Wilson, the book frames her narrative as a "villain-origin backstory" intended to explain Elon Musk’s political evolution.
Teen Vogue characterized Wilson’s depiction as that of "an angry, rebellious child, blinded by radical anticapitalist ideology." In response, Wilson asserted that Isaacson sought to complicate Elon’s image by demonizing her as a trans adolescent, thereby fabricating a false sense of balance within the narrative.
Film Adaptation
On November 10, 2023, A24 secured the film rights for a motion picture adaptation to be directed by Darren Aronofsky.
See also
- Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, a 2015 biography of Elon Musk
- Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors, a 2019 nonfiction work focusing on Musk's management at Tesla
- Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century, a 2021 nonfiction account detailing Musk's leadership at Tesla