Briefing | Poster boy

Elon Musk’s transformation, in his own words

Our analysis of 38,000 posts on X reveal a changed man

Elon Musk raises his arms to supporters at a rally in Madison Square Garden, New York
Photograph: Getty Images

“Sure, you might say something silly once in a while, as I do, but that way people know it’s really you!” As part of a plea for “political & company leaders” to join him in holding forth on X, his social network, Elon Musk has repeatedly stressed that such posts offer an unusual and engaging authenticity. We have taken him at his word. What do his tweets say about him?

Explore more

This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Poster boy”

From the November 23rd 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition
A photo collage illustrating the chaos Trump is causing, featuring Trump, Eric Adams, Elon Musk, a plastic straw, Mt. McKinley, the USAID flag, the Kennedy Center DEI, and the transgender symbol.

Donald Trump is a reckless president, but not yet a lawless one

He has yet to flatly defy a court order, which would initiate a constitutional crisis

 Soldiers of the Ukrianian Armed Forces inspect FPV drones

America’s military supremacy is in jeopardy

To win future wars it needs new weapons, new suppliers and a new system of procurement



Even in India, bureaucracy is being curtailed

Many small steps could make a big difference

Many governments talk about cutting regulation but few manage to

Yet radical deregulation is often a big boost to growth

Why Chinese AI has stunned the world

DeepSeek’s models are much cheaper and almost as good as American rivals