# Elon Musk **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765 "2018-01-29T23:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/1 "2018-01-29T23:24:11Z")
This man is an example of what happens when someone makes too much money. Hyperloop? Yeah, fuck that noise. It would be a white elephant if the damn thing ever gets built. The guy is starting to sound like **SamuelA** with his goddam _Oh, technology wonderful \ \_. Now I read that he is selling a “flamethrower” for the impending zombie apocalypse. Which is, for $500us, a glorified bong lighter. It projects a 2’ gas flame, not a stream of burning liquid light an actual flame thrower – which I suppose is a good thing, given our general abundance of stupid (of which he seems to be in the vanguard) that could make real flamethrowers a serious concern. Jesus, man, you car business is having some issues. Why not, say, concentrate on getting that shit rolling, instead of gazing upon the lovely face of Mars with lecherous intent? Just, stop being a fucking moron. We have shitloads of those to deal with already, without you adding to the mix. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/2 "2018-01-29T23:28:22Z")
Oh yeah, this pitting will go the way you think it will; sure. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/3 "2018-01-29T23:28:55Z")
[Dude](http://i.imgur.com/yC2fHES.jpg), he HAD to make the flamethrower to complete the [Hank Scorpio](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/3/39/Hank_Scorpio.png/revision/latest?cb=20170620075113) transition. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/4 "2018-01-29T23:30:19Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Oh yeah, this pitting will go the way you think it will; sure. I am just venting. I have no expectations that other people will feel the same way. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/5 "2018-01-29T23:34:54Z")
> [@Yogurt from Space Balls](#): > > SpaceBalls the Flamethrower! [Lights the big flame] > > [Dwarfs: “OOOOOOOH!”] > > The kids love this one! Merchandising! Where the real money is made! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/6 "2018-01-29T23:38:05Z")
Kids will have to carry them to school, you know, in case the zombie attack happens during school hours. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/7 "2018-01-29T23:38:29Z")
You can get them cheaper than $500, apparently. Also available as a DIY project. > **[7 Items You Won't Believe Are Actually Legal](https://www.cracked.com/article_17016_7-items-you-wont-believe-are-actually-legal.html)** > > Drugs, artillery emplacements, napalm, prostitution - sometimes it seems like the best things in life are illegal. For some reason, the fascists who control this country don't believe in your God given right to smoke meth and man a 155-millimeter... ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/8 "2018-01-29T23:46:57Z")
Paypal, Tesla, SpaceX… anyone who founded any one of those 3 companies has some bragging rights. Founding all 3 earns you the right to make a flame thrower every now and again. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/9 "2018-01-29T23:50:49Z")
In my best **fiend** ’s last film, the megalomaniacal titular character is a caricature of Elon Musk. The character’s name is **Ely Cologne**. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/10 "2018-01-29T23:52:36Z")
We need more people like Musk, Howard Hughes, Bill Gates, etc, people who invent interesting technological developments, than people like Donald Trump who make their money by just shuffling money from one pile to another. Musk is the man. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/11 "2018-01-29T23:54:52Z")
Yeah, he has a lot of nutty ideas that will never go anywhere. And he also has a lot of good ideas that are going somewhere. And the ideas of his that are going somewhere are mostly doing so because he’s taking them there. On net, it’s hard to see that as anything but a positive. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/12 "2018-01-29T23:59:57Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Merchandising! Where the real money is made! Right. I was completely flummoxed by the Boring Company Flamethrower until it was pointed out to me as a Spaceballs reference. Makes perfect sense, it’s a publicity stunt & crowd-funding opportunity, following their baseball caps. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/13 "2018-01-30T00:05:30Z")
Now, the Falcon Heavy on the other hand, I wish he offered to carry a bunch of student-built cubesats for free… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/14 "2018-01-30T00:45:38Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Paypal, Tesla, SpaceX… anyone who founded any one of those 3 companies has some bragging rights. Founding all 3 earns you the right to make a flame thrower every now and again. This sums it up very well. Yes, Musk is a publicity hound, no problem, he deserves it. I like having engineering heroes for a change. They’re rare. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/15 "2018-01-30T00:57:57Z")
I’m reasonably sure that, a couple decades from now, his intellect will continue to be researched, but his business acumen and character will increasingly veer toward a Donald Trump-like reputation. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/16 "2018-01-30T01:00:34Z")
Musk sometimes just does daft stuff on twitter. That’s it really. Cmon he names the landing ships in the style of Culture vessels. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/17 "2018-01-30T01:07:01Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I’m reasonably sure that, a couple decades from now, his intellect will continue to be researched, but his business acumen and character will increasingly veer toward a Donald Trump-like reputation. Yeah, I’ve been a Elon Musk fanboy, but it’s increasingly clear that Tesla is a money pit. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/18 "2018-01-30T01:07:50Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Paypal, Tesla, SpaceX… anyone who founded any one of those 3 companies has some bragging rights. Founding all 3 earns you the right to make a flame thrower every now and again. he didn’t start Tesla. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/19 "2018-01-30T01:15:27Z")
[Maybe not then but he did now](https://www.cnet.com/news/tesla-motors-founders-now-there-are-five/). > [@](#): > > On Monday, a Tesla representative said that Eberhard and other principals in the dispute have come to an agreement. The company did not reveal any details of the resolution, except to say that there are now five, rather than two, agreed-upon “founders” of Tesla. > > In addition to Eberhard, other founders include current CEO and chief product architect Elon Musk, current chief technology JB Straubel, Marc Tarpenning, and Ian Wright. > > Both Eberhard and Musk, who have bickered publicly and through the courts, issued statements praising each others’ contributions to Tesla. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765/20 "2018-01-30T01:17:16Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > he didn’t start Tesla. He effectively co-founded it, close enough. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk/807765.md?page=2)