In a way, Musk’s trumped-up Twitter conflicts are clarifying. They reveal how little will be solved by online debate and how the tech mogul can toy with his ever-loyal audience by implying that they have some say in how he manages his profound wealth. The problems with the resources and power Musk has accumulated will not be solved with stupid jokes, angry rhetoric, or dunking on him by posting his infamous photo with Ghislaine Maxwell. There is no way to “own” Musk online or to make him feel shame or even, given the iron law of internet publicity, to talk about him without giving him a bit of what he wants. According to Musk, he is here to save the planet by becoming so rich that he can lead an exodus to Mars. For anyone with any knowledge of conditions on Mars — or the urgency of ameliorating easier-to-solve issues here on Earth — the plan sounds absolutely ridiculous. But Musk will continue to do what he wants until the political forces ostensibly governing our society do something meaningful to stop him. For now, they tweet.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Elon Musk?