Not A Rivalry At All

I was reading an article concerning a rivalry between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and it struck me that there would even be a rivalry. Back in 2016, SpaceX had a launch failure and a Facebook satellite was destroyed. That didn't set well with Zuckerberg. He seemed to believe that spaceflight was not rocket science. Since then, the two billionaires have exchanged barbs from time to time.

But, I have to ask, why is this even a thing? On the one hand you have a tech billionaire who is a genius and on the other you have a meme-inducing billionaire that eerily resembles a robot. The genius built a technology company through sheer force of will, grand ideas, and hard work. The robot co-opted some software and came along at the right time and the right place.

I have great respect for Elon Musk. I think he's personally a jerk from all accounts but he is to be respected. Musk created a technology company that does exactly what people compare hard things to: rocket science. He has vision and drive and yes, he is a bit of a sadist as an employer for driving his people so hard. But that is actually more common in tech than you think. Ask any Facebook employees about working conditions on the coding floor.

Anyway, these two men - both jerks - are being touted as equals in that the media calls it a rivalry. I don't see it as a rivalry so much as it is a public exchange of criticism. These men are not equals, they do not innovate in the same industry, and all other ways, they are not to be compared save for their billions of dollars. To that end, I will not be calling it a rivalry.

And why would you call it a rivalry? Zuckerberg came along at the right time and place where people wanted something different in social media. Do not pretend, or allow him to pretend, that anyone predicted the phenomenal growth of social media. Do not pretend that Facebook is anything other than a monopoly needing controlled. In short, Zuckerberg's accomplishments pale in comparison to the successes and even failures of Elon Musk. The spectacular fireball of SN8 as it failed to nail it's vertical landing in December of 2020 was still far beyond the accomplishments of a social engineering platform like Facebook.

Consider what Musk has done. He has created an entirely new car company in the process he innovated a number of other technologies to support it. Namely charging stations, batteries, and advanced artificial intelligence for controlling the hardware systems. The AI efforts of Zuckerberg have resulted in new and aggressive ways of censoring ideas he doesn't approve of on his social engineering platform.

Not only did Musk create a car company and a new subset of the car industry out of nothing, he created the world's first commercial spaceflight company that has launched humans into space. The technical, economic, and political hurdles Musk has successfully navigated make the robot's water-sipping performance in front of Congress look like a casual break from making money.

Yes, I respect Elon Musk as an entrepreneur. He has created technology, industry, jobs, and increases in the economy. Furthermore, he has a vision that exceeds the selfish and personal vision of CEOs like Zuckerberg.

No, I do not respect Mark Zuckerberg. He hasn't created anything but a monopoly platform for social engineering. He has increased his personal economy at the expense of others. He brings about division, bias, and prejudiced censorship. Furthermore, his vision is simply more control and to make more money.

While the Zucks of the world are plotting how to keep your eyeballs busy while they take your money and hand over control to elitists, the Musks of the world are creating lofty visions of mankind's future. While Zuck is focused on himself here on planet Earth, Musk speaks of walking on Mars. And there is no reason to believe that he won't accomplish most of what he has set out to do. He is that kind of CEO and has that kind of drive.

Do I think I'd like to personally work for Elon Musk or hang out with him? Probably not. I don't think we'd get along. Musk is probably too demanding and too high strung for me. I would like to meet him though. It would be nice to have a few hours over lunch and listen to his predictions and thoughts. I could learn a lot. It would probably be tiring.

Do I think I'd like to personally work for Mark Zuckerberg or hang out with him? Definitely not. I know we'd not get along. Zuckerberg is too much of a control freak and selfish tyrant for me. I definitely would not want to hang out with Zuckerberg. It would be the epitome of aggravation to have any time with anyone like him. I would learn nothing. It would be entirely too frustrating.

So, why did I write this particular rant? Because I have another thing to say but that will come in a separate statement. This was the motivation that pushed me over the edge to go forward with a significant decision.