If that is the case, it sounds like companies then should put a lot more focus on formalities than ability and skill, considering how successful Elon's companies are and have been; success which turns very peculiar under those circumstances when you consider how engineering-oriented they are.

There is, of course, another possibility, which is that Elon does in fact put a lot of focus on ability and skill over formalities, but not in literally every single situation.

Which one do you think is more likely?