3 ms·

He operates the first-ever successful private spaceflight company. (You can quibble with this but it's something close to the truth). Likening him to Barnum is

• ravenstine 9y ago
  That's not something I would contest, and I don't think I implied such a position. I(and presumably others) actually like impossible ideas but dislike the rampant lack of skepticism in the direction of Musk, therefore criticism of his company's proposals is justified and not necessarily coming from the direction of "it can never work". Likening him to Barnum would perhaps paint him as a little more nefarious than Musk actually is, but I wouldn't consider that insulting. The man was a master promoter. But perhaps he's not a good analogue because their "products" are very different. People liken Musk to Edison, and they did both own technology companies that produced innovations, but that's where the similarity ends.