Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Elon Musk cover art

Elon Musk

By: Walter Isaacson
Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $33.99

Buy Now for $33.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter.

When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.

His father’s impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive.

At the beginning of 2022—after a year marked by SpaceX launching thirty-one rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth—Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life,” he said.

It was a wistful comment, not a New Year’s resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter, the world’s ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground.

For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?

©2023 Walter Isaacson (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic Reviews

"One of the greatest biographers in America has written a massive book about the richest man in the world. This fast-paced biography, based on more than a hundred interviews ... [is] a head-spinning tale about a vain, brilliant, sometimes cruel figure whose ambitions are actively shaping the future of human life." (Ron Charles on CBS Sunday Morning)

What listeners say about Elon Musk

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    384
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    359
  • 4 Stars
    33
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    360
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An insightful look into history in the making

Thoroughly enjoyable and well written. A timely insight into our rapidly changing times and a candid and remarkably personal view of Elon's genius, shortcomings and incredible drive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inside the heart and mind of a genius

Suspicion of Mr Musk’s motives led me to this very well written, no holes barred bio. I learned Elon is a man who truely believes he is saving human consciousness, and this is is driving force. He may be a little misguided, in my own opinion, though. Given the chance I would love to ask him why doesn’t he focus on Earth where we are now and place all those billions into technology which would save us from possible disaster. Regardless here is a man who shows us the power of having a desire and staying with it regardless of risks and health. Thoroughly enjoyable and leaves the listener with much to contemplate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A new perspective on Elon Musk

Super illuminating. Absolutely worth the listen. At the very least, you’ll be able to form your own perspective and sound smart at dinner parties!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring read

I love Elon's work. It's by far the best humanity ever experienced! Looking forward to the future to see what is next.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

complexity of Musk

I learned heaps about Musk and what drives him both positively and negatively. I found it result interesting but also too long.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

story line/time line order

Best bio I've listened to/read yet. ordered the hard copy and listening to a second time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The detailed reflections and recordings of subtle nuances.

I’m not usually interested in biographies because there are way too many opportunities for the author to confabulate. Even if this book was found not to be 100% accurate, it has made more interested in learning more about EM and his pursuits on behalf of humanity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

In Elon We Trust

Assuming we as a species do not completely obliterate ourselves, there will be a time in the future where we erect statues of Musk in appreciation for not only getting us through this period of seemingly manufactured dark ages 2.0, but for saving humanity as a whole.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Looking forward to reading this one again…

Listened to it the day it came out and still talking about this enigmatic human, several weeks later.

Elon is clearly on the autism spectrum; it frustrates me how people can’t see that’s where many of his unusual behaviours come from.
This biography posits that so much of what we know of Mr Musk is highly contrived rubbish. He’s actually a generous man, with a troubled upbringing, who has the Human Race’s best interests at heart. He is highly misunderstood.

We need more risk-takers like this in our world. It’s the only way to advance humankind. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t like to be one of his employees! :-))

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Very interesting book and well written. Only downside is the book felt more like a first volume than a concluded story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.