“If your father always calls you an idiot or a moron, isn’t your only reaction to shutting down anything inside you that’s causing you to express emotional issues that you find difficult to deal with?” This emotional shut-off valve made him cold and numb, but it also helped him become a risk-taking innovator.
Justin said, “Elon has learned to block out fear.
“If someone has blocked out fear, they would also have to block out emotions like joy and compassion,” he added.
The post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered as a child left him with an aversion to satisfaction.
(Omitted) “It was adversity that raised me.
So, the limit of pain that can be endured had to be very high.”
---"prolog.
From "The Beginning of a Grand Quest"

Reading became a psychological refuge for Elon.
Sometimes he would read for nine hours straight, from the afternoon until late at night.
Whenever the entire family was invited to someone's house for dinner, Elon would disappear into the house's study.
On days when I was in the city, I would wander the streets and eventually end up in a bookstore, sit on the floor, and lose myself in my own world.
He was also deeply into comic books.
The passion of superheroes dedicated to a single purpose particularly fascinated him.
“Everyone is always trying to save the world.
“If you think about it, it’s weird to wear underwear on the outside or a tight metal suit, but you’re trying to save the world anyway,” Elon says.

---「Chapter 3.
From "Father's House"

As Elon entered his teenage years, he began to feel that something was missing.
He says that neither religious nor scientific explanations for existence address the truly important questions: "Where did the universe come from and why does it exist?"
Physics could teach us everything about the universe, but it could not explain the reason for its existence.
It led to what he himself called an 'existential crisis of adolescence'.
(Omitted) Fortunately, he was saved by science fiction novels, a source of wisdom for children with special intellectual abilities and who enjoy playing games.
He swept through the science fiction sections of his school and local libraries and begged the librarians to order more books.

---「Chapter 4.
From "Science Fiction and Video Games"

In January 1999, less than four years after Elon and Kimball launched Ziptoo, Prudian called them into his office and told them that Compaq Computer had offered them $307 million in cash.
At the time, Compaq Computer was looking for ways to revitalize its AltaVista search engine.
The brothers split their 12 percent stake 60-40, leaving the 27-year-old Elon with $22 million and Kimball with $15 million.
Elon was surprised when the check arrived at his apartment.
“My bank account balance went from $5,000 to $22,005,000,” Elon said.

---「Chapter 10.
From "Home Fight"

Musk married Justin eight months ago, but they still haven't found time for a honeymoon.
Fatefully, he decided to go on his honeymoon in September, just as his colleagues were plotting to force him out.
He traveled to Australia to attend the Olympics, stopping in London and Singapore to meet with potential investors.
As soon as Musk left the country, Levchin called Thiel and asked if he would be willing to return as CEO, even temporarily.
When Till agreed, the rebels joined forces to confront the board and got other employees to sign a petition supporting their cause.
(Omitted) Musk figured out the reason four days after leaving the country.
An email sent to the board by an employee praising Musk's leadership and condemning the conspirators was also forwarded to him.
Musk felt taken by surprise.

---「Chapter 13.
From "Coup d'état"

Musk has a penchant for setting unrealistic deadlines, even when they don't necessarily need to be.
For example, he ordered that a test stand for a yet-to-be-built rocket engine be built within a few weeks.
“A sense of frantic urgency is our operating principle,” he repeatedly declared.
The sense of urgency was effective in itself.
This is what engineers say because it makes them think from first principles.
But as Mueller points out, it also had a psychologically damaging aspect.
“If you set an aggressive schedule that people feel they can accomplish, they will be more willing to put in the effort.
But what if you present a physically impossible schedule? Engineers aren't stupid, are they?
The morale will only drop.
That is Elon's biggest weakness.”
---「Chapter 18.
From "Rocket Manufacturing Rules"

Talullah watched in horror every night as Musk mumbled harshly in his sleep, sometimes screaming and waving his arms wildly.
“I kept thinking he was going to have a heart attack,” she says.
“Musk suffered from night terrors.
While I was sleeping, he suddenly started screaming and scratching me.
It was really horrible.
“I was really scared watching those desperate struggles.” Sometimes he would go to the bathroom and start vomiting.
“I was so stressed that I would run to the bathroom and scream and vomit, feeling like my stomach was going to turn.
“I used to stand next to the toilet and hold his head.” Musk has a high tolerance for stress, but by 2008 he was close to reaching his breaking point.
“In that situation, where I had to find a clever solution and come up with a solution again and again, I had no choice but to work day and night.”
---「Chapter 29.
From "Immediately"

Musk's interest in artificial intelligence has led to the launch of various related projects.
These include Neuralink, which aims to implant microchips in the human brain; Optimus, a human-like robot; and Dojo, a supercomputer that can simulate the human brain by training an artificial neural network with millions of images.
He also became obsessed with developing self-driving features for Tesla cars.
At first, these efforts were somewhat independent, but eventually Musk unified them all into a new chatbot company called X.AI to pursue the goal of artificial general intelligence.
(Omitted) Musk decided to go it alone by building a rival AI team to develop Tesla Autopilot.
---「Chapter 40.
From "Artificial Intelligence"

In early 2020, Musk decided to sell it all.
“I’m selling almost all of my physical possessions,” he tweeted three days before X was born.
“I’m not going to own a home anymore,” he told Joe Rogan that day, explaining the background to his decision.
“I think possessions weigh people down and become an excuse for aggression,” he said.
“In recent years, the word ‘billionaire’ has become a pejorative.
It's treated as if it were a bad thing.
People say things like, 'Hey, you're a billionaire, you should have all that stuff.'
Well, now I don't have that.
“What are you going to do?” After selling all of his California homes, Musk moved to Texas, and Grimes soon followed.
Musk mostly stayed in a small, standard-issue house in Boca Chica that he rented from SpaceX.

---「Chapter 56.
From "Musk's Children"

Bezos and Musk are similar in some ways.
Both men shook up the industry with their passion, innovation, and willpower.
Both men were blunt with their employees, readily rebuked them for their foolish actions, and were angry with those who doubted or opposed them.
And both men focused on envisioning the future rather than pursuing short-term gains.
Bezos was once asked if he knew how to spell "profit," and he replied, "Prophe-t."
But when it came to exploring engineering, they were different.
Bezos was systematic.
Musk's instinct was to push people to crazy deadlines, even if it meant taking risks.

---「Chapter 58.
Musk vs.
Bezos, from Round 2

Musk can be a grumpy man when he gets angry, and he often resorts to vicious behavior, especially on Twitter.
He tweeted a photo of Gates in a golf shirt with a potbelly alongside an image depicting a pregnant man.
“If you need to lose weight fast,” was his only comment.
Gates was genuinely puzzled as to why Musk was upset about his short-selling.
And Musk was equally puzzled that Gates was puzzled by it.
Musk texted me right after exchanging texts with Gates.
“At this point I'm convinced he's clearly crazy (and a complete idiot).
“Actually, I wanted to like him (sigh).”
---Chapter 71.
From "Bill Gates"

The curtain, engraved with a logo of Optimus's two hands forming a heart, parted in two.
Optimus, freed from his bonds, stood proudly and began to raise both arms.
“It’s moving, it’s working.” (Omitted) Musk also looked relieved.
“Our goal is to create a useful humanoid robot as quickly as possible,” he told the audience.
Musk has ultimately promised to build millions of robots.
“This means a future of abundance, a future without poverty.
We will be able to give people a universal basic income.
This is a fundamental transformation of civilization.”
---Chapter 79.
From "Optimus Public"

Musk's transformation of Twitter's corporate culture was one of the biggest in history.
Twitter has moved from a workplace that boasted the highest levels of nurturing culture, replete with free artisan meals, yoga studios, paid sabbaticals, and a focus on “psychological safety,” to the other extreme.
The reason he made the change wasn't just because of cost.
He preferred harsh and harsh environments where fanatical warriors could feel danger rather than psychological comfort.
Sometimes it meant he was breaking things, and it seemed like that could happen on Twitter too.
The hashtag #twitterdeathwatch began trending.
Technology and media experts have said goodbye to Twitter, saying it will soon be gone.
Even Musk himself laughed when he said he thought Twitter might collapse.

---「Chapter 88.
Among "hardcore"