logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
42m 54s

ON Musk Episode Two: Demons

iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
About this episode

What kind of titan of industry has a "giddy mode"? Or a "demon mode"? The two aspects of Musk’s personality are forces that drive his choices and behavior at work—and vectors Isaacson finds critical to understanding how Musk operates. From ripping out servers on Christmas Eve on a whim to buying Twitter against better wisdom, and reaming out staff members left right and center, we stare into the darker parts of Musk as chronicled by Isaacson.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Dec 2023
ON Musk Episode Four: What is Musk’s Legacy?
Which of Musk’s efforts will mark his legacy? Will it be Starship and his work bringing Americans back into orbit, or will it be X and his amplifications of the worst of humanity? Isaacson wrestles with his time in Silicon Valley, and relays a comparison of Jobs and Musk that’s s ... Show More
43m 24s
Dec 2023
ON Musk Episode Three: Storytelling and Hot Takes
Be a storyteller, not a preacher. That was novelist Walker Percy’s legendary advice to a young Walter Isaacson. One he takes to heart in his work as a journalist at Time and CNN, and as a biographer of creative genius across the centuries—and in trying to capture someone as volat ... Show More
44m 40s
Dec 2023
ON Musk Episode Two: Demons
What kind of titan of industry has a "giddy mode"? Or a "demon mode"? The two aspects of Musk’s personality are forces that drive his choices and behavior at work—and vectors Isaacson finds critical to understanding how Musk operates. From ripping out servers on Christmas Eve on ... Show More
42m 54s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
Can Black Twitter survive Elon Musk?
A surge in anti-Semitic and racist tweets, an incoherent rollout of a paid verification service, and thousands of layoffs. Then a scramble to rehire some employees. This is only a couple of weeks into Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter. It's impossible to deny that Musk is a highly ... Show More
14m 38s
Feb 2024
Steve Keen, the Musketeer
Elon Musk has his fingers in many pies. Social media, space travel, internet access, AI. Even tunnel drilling. He’s grown from developing a modest series of online city guides, to being one of the richest men on the planet. Is he a genius, or simply a Trumpesque style wheeler and ... Show More
41m 38s
Aug 2022
Elon Musk: Visionary FutureMan, Narrated By William Shatner
Elon Musk: part Thomas Edison, part Iron-Man, part annoying dude in the group chat. He's eccentric, terminally online, but also anything but the standard CEO. This is "The Daily Showography of Elon Musk."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
8m 38s
Jul 2022
The Psychology of Elon Musk’s Costliest Mistakes (Feat. Wisdom From Charlie Munger)
Elon Musk’s character traits have a tendency to get him into trouble, as shown by Twitter’s new lawsuit attempting to force the completion of his $44 billion acquisition of the company. What are those traits, and what can we learn from them? I share my analysis of Elon Musk’s psy ... Show More
14 m
Jul 2023
What's going on with Elon Musk?
Search Engine investigates the erratic behavior of the world’s wealthiest man with Hard Fork’s Casey Newton. The three top theories for why Elon Musk has begun to act strangely, including one theory that upset our understanding of reality itself.If you'd like to subscribe to our ... Show More
1 h