You're aware that one of the leads of the Thai rescue operation personally had an email with Musk asking him to continue working on the sub concept "in as timely a manner as feasible"? (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dhv9BppUwAArP8X.jpg)

Further, Musk didn't get involved until asked to do so, deferred to other experts, and praised the efforts of everyone else involved: https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-full-story-behind-Elon-Musks...

Clearly narcissistic behavior.

I think there are very few among us that could juggle the responsibilities he's got and keep up the schedule he's got and not get tilted now and again. It's part of being human, which seems to be lost on a lot of people today. It's also why a schedule like that is a really bad idea, for anyone, and why one of the most productive things an ambitious person can do is build a good team.

none of that excuses that pedophile nonsense.

You're right. It doesn't. That was reprehensible. Likewise, his pedophile tweet doesn't invalidate his remarkable accomplishments. People want to squeeze celebrities into boxes, as villains or heroes, all good or all bad. Musk is flawed. We all are. I think it's okay to call him out on his failings while celebrating his achievements.

It doesn't, but it makes the intent of the submarine construction a lot clearer - it takes it quite far away from a useless PR stunt to, at the very least generous interpretation, a requested PR stunt.

His apologies tweet is indeed quite good. And shows that he is learning everyday:"His actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologise". Cf https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44870303 for the details.

[I let you decide if this is pure PR, or real apologies.]

That tweet was a classic non-apology. He tried to shift as much of the blame as possible for his actions onto the British ex-pat; I can't understand how people think that shows genuine remorse.

Narcissists gravitating to positions of importance is an age old truism. Very few people are cut out for the kind of work Musk and people like him do, so I am inclined to be utilitarian in cases like this. Musk might be an asswipe, but his initiatives could have a major positive impact on the future of humanity, so I'll let him slide for the time being.

>classic narcissism behaviour ...

I've run out of fingers to count how many times over the last few months I've see keyboard psychiatrists apply 'narcissism' as a catch-all for any kind of outlier behaviours.

I'm no Musk fanboy, but the narcissism trope feels particularly way off in his case.

Mind you, I didn't call him a narcissist. I said its classic narcissism behaviour. There's a subtle nuance between those two. There's no further psychoanalysis either.

I want to be a Musk fanboy. I am very much into the things he's innovating. I care about those things (solar power, electric vehicles, (self-)sustainability in general, though SpaceX not so much). He's become a if not the face of those ideals I find important. That's why that particular tweet was so disgusting and ultimately disappointing to me. I did not see it coming!

I agree. However, I also realise that in being the 'face' of these things that he is truly just that: a mere face, a phantom, an archetype in the collective psyche. Behind all this is a flawed human (like the rest of us) who is trying to reconcile his place as the eco-ubermensch and regular family guy.

I actually didn't feel at all disappointed by the tweet. I feel disappointed by people's lack of concern for a guy who's fighting the good fight who is clearly going through something awful.