How History Will Remember Elon Musk

Visionaries can be unsettling figures—far more so than the predictable selfish or corrupt individuals. Among these, those with the resources to bring their visions to life are the most formidable and rare: in any historical era, only a handful of men have shaped reality around them, disregarding criticism and caution.

Elon Musk unquestionably fits the mold of a visionary. While his temperament can be volatile and reckless, dismissing him as a fraud or fool overlooks the depth of his ambitions. His recent withdrawal from direct involvement in the U.S. federal government marks the end of a chapter, and his brief political ventures may have been somewhat disappointing. Yet Musk’s vision transcends Washington politics. He has been clear on this point, telling audiences willing to listen: “Eventually, all life on Earth will be destroyed by the Sun,” explaining that as the Sun gradually expands, humanity must become a multiplanetary civilization to survive.

This belief motivated Musk’s decision over two decades ago to set his sights on Mars as the first step in interstellar colonization. He has expressed a desire to die on the Red Planet—“but not on impact.” Beyond physical survival, he sees space exploration as a catalyst for profound psychological renewal. Describing America as a “distillation of the human spirit of exploration,” Musk portrays the country as a land of adventurers. His mission aims not only to safeguard humanity from planetary extinction but also to overcome complacency and fear. Should Musk succeed in this grand venture, his political endeavors will likely be seen as mere footnotes in his legacy.

Recent setbacks have not diminished Musk’s long-term trajectory. Those who celebrate his apparent fall from grace may overlook the soaring achievements of his space enterprise. In the first half of 2024, SpaceX launched seven times more payload than the rest of the world combined. Ambitious government projects modeled after past space programs may channel significant taxpayer funds toward SpaceX, driven by the demand for vast satellite networks. As a result, Musk’s wealth is poised to increase alongside his political engagements. His passion for space is not purely ideological—it is also financially rewarding. As one historical figure once put it, “Pure philanthropy is well and good, but philanthropy plus five percent is much better.”

That historical figure was Cecil Rhodes, a businessman, politician, and visionary who reshaped reality to his will. Rhodes was a complex and polarizing character who, like Musk, “just got things done.” Starting as a diamond trader in his youth, he founded the De Beers diamond company in 1888, later becoming Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, founder of Rhodesia, and a powerful agent of British imperialism in Africa—a legacy marked by both ambition and violence. He died in 1902 at the age of 48, having become one of the wealthiest men in the world.