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He also has a deep understanding of how important government assistance was to getting SpaceX where it is now but that hasn't stopped him from trying to stop ot

He also has a deep understanding of how important government assistance was to getting SpaceX where it is now but that hasn't stopped him from trying to stop others from benefiting from the same. He shows a lack of rational thought in regards too SpaceX that is sometimes rather worrying. Take, for example, the time he smoked a blunt on camera which isn't exactly what one of his largest customers likes to see in their executives they are entrusting with launching one of a kind national security assets. I'm glad SpaceX has an actual professional management team to run most day to day operations.

drsnow 5y ago
Weed use makes no difference as to his leadership abilities or trustworthiness
- JaimeThompson 5y ago
  It does in the eyes of the US military which is the customer in this case.
panick21_ 5y ago
> but that hasn't stopped him from trying to stop others from benefiting from the same. That's complete nonsense. Unlike others SpaceX has never really attack other space companies. Musk has been supportive of other space companies. SpaceX busted open the establishment in both DoD and NASA so the contracts are fairly competent, and everybody coming in the industry benefits from that. SpaceX just recently lost a contract about Commercial Leo Destination but unlike BlueOrigin they didn't release a pamphlet, an army of lobbyist and a bunch of lawyers. Can you be specific of what actions SpaceX has taken to prevent others space company from gaining government contracts (other then competing for them)? > Take, for example, the time he smoked a blunt on camera which isn't exactly what one of his largest customers likes to see in their executives they are entrusting with launching one of a kind national security assets. Something that had basically no impact other then some not really serious slap on the wrist because the military is federal and not state law and they had to pretend to give a shit. It wasn't the smartest thing to do but to hold that up as some great example about how he is a bad manager is ridiculous for a company that has been as successful as SpaceX. > I'm glad SpaceX has an actual professional management team to run most day to day operations. A lot of those manager are engineers that came up in SpaceX. Early on it was basically Elon and his secretary and a group of senior technical team lead that did everything. Musk was heavily in involved in recruitment, supply chain and other typical management things. He is very capable of doing management work for small or large company but whenever he can avoid it, he doesn't do it, because its not where he adds most value beyond overall strategy.
- CharlesW 5y ago
  > Unlike others SpaceX has never really attack other space companies. I mean, Musk hasn't called Bezos a pedo (yet), but you haven't been paying attention if you believe that. https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-mocks-jeff-bezos-after-his-rocket-company-blue-origin-loses-nasa-lawsuit https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-mocks-jeff-bezos-aft...
  - mlindner 5y ago
    This was a case where Bezos wanted NASA to fund it's entire development program from scratch at a cost much higher than NASA ever funded SpaceX's development program. See my other comment here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30297198 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30297198
  - panick21_ 5y ago
    You mean when Blue did everything they could to prevent SpaceX from gaining a contract. Blue complained to GAO and lost. Then Blue started a propaganda campaign propagating lies about SpaceX and tried to get is bought politicians to force NASA to change, then they sued NASA. After all of that, with SpaceX never actually doing anything to Blue, all they did was offer a way better option to the government.
- JaimeThompson 5y ago
  In a recent WSJ he, Musk, spoke out against government subsidies. I don't mind such subsidies but I do mind when people who benefit from government help want to stop others from doing the same.
  - panick21_ 5y ago
    There is a difference between government contracts and subsidies. And he multiple time argued against subsidies that Tesla would benefit from more then anybody else.
mlindner 5y ago
> He also has a deep understanding of how important government assistance was to getting SpaceX where it is now but that hasn't stopped him from trying to stop others from benefiting from the same. That is false. The only companies he has objected to are ULA which was getting a 1 billion dollar a year retainer (effectively a subsidy) from the US government, which is rightfully bad, and Blue Origin which basically wanted NASA to bankroll it's entire development program with little of their own money spent. SpaceX spends a lot of it's own money on things and then is thankful for the little bit on top that NASA has provided to them for portions of development. In no case that I can remember has SpaceX investment on a project been less than 50%, and it is often 100% but with a guaranteed government customer.
- JaimeThompson 5y ago
  That isn't correct. He has spoken out against EV subsidies recently. https://readon.substack.com/p/-musk-doesnt-want-subsidies https://readon.substack.com/p/-musk-doesnt-want-subsidies

drsnow 5y ago

Weed use makes no difference as to his leadership abilities or trustworthiness

JaimeThompson 5y ago
It does in the eyes of the US military which is the customer in this case.

panick21_ 5y ago

> but that hasn't stopped him from trying to stop others from benefiting from the same. That's complete nonsense. Unlike others SpaceX has never really attack other space companies. Musk has been supportive of other space companies. SpaceX busted open the establishment in both DoD and NASA so the contracts are fairly competent, and everybody coming in the industry benefits from that. SpaceX just recently lost a contract about Commercial Leo Destination but unlike BlueOrigin they didn't release a pamphlet, an army of lobbyist and a bunch of lawyers. Can you be specific of what actions SpaceX has taken to prevent others space company from gaining government contracts (other then competing for them)? > Take, for example, the time he smoked a blunt on camera which isn't exactly what one of his largest customers likes to see in their executives they are entrusting with launching one of a kind national security assets. Something that had basically no impact other then some not really serious slap on the wrist because the military is federal and not state law and they had to pretend to give a shit. It wasn't the smartest thing to do but to hold that up as some great example about how he is a bad manager is ridiculous for a company that has been as successful as SpaceX. > I'm glad SpaceX has an actual professional management team to run most day to day operations. A lot of those manager are engineers that came up in SpaceX. Early on it was basically Elon and his secretary and a group of senior technical team lead that did everything. Musk was heavily in involved in recruitment, supply chain and other typical management things. He is very capable of doing management work for small or large company but whenever he can avoid it, he doesn't do it, because its not where he adds most value beyond overall strategy.

CharlesW 5y ago
> Unlike others SpaceX has never really attack other space companies. I mean, Musk hasn't called Bezos a pedo (yet), but you haven't been paying attention if you believe that. https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-mocks-jeff-bezos-after-his-rocket-company-blue-origin-loses-nasa-lawsuit https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-mocks-jeff-bezos-aft...
- mlindner 5y ago
  This was a case where Bezos wanted NASA to fund it's entire development program from scratch at a cost much higher than NASA ever funded SpaceX's development program. See my other comment here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30297198 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30297198
- panick21_ 5y ago
  You mean when Blue did everything they could to prevent SpaceX from gaining a contract. Blue complained to GAO and lost. Then Blue started a propaganda campaign propagating lies about SpaceX and tried to get is bought politicians to force NASA to change, then they sued NASA. After all of that, with SpaceX never actually doing anything to Blue, all they did was offer a way better option to the government.
JaimeThompson 5y ago
In a recent WSJ he, Musk, spoke out against government subsidies. I don't mind such subsidies but I do mind when people who benefit from government help want to stop others from doing the same.
- panick21_ 5y ago
  There is a difference between government contracts and subsidies. And he multiple time argued against subsidies that Tesla would benefit from more then anybody else.

mlindner 5y ago

> He also has a deep understanding of how important government assistance was to getting SpaceX where it is now but that hasn't stopped him from trying to stop others from benefiting from the same. That is false. The only companies he has objected to are ULA which was getting a 1 billion dollar a year retainer (effectively a subsidy) from the US government, which is rightfully bad, and Blue Origin which basically wanted NASA to bankroll it's entire development program with little of their own money spent. SpaceX spends a lot of it's own money on things and then is thankful for the little bit on top that NASA has provided to them for portions of development. In no case that I can remember has SpaceX investment on a project been less than 50%, and it is often 100% but with a guaranteed government customer.

JaimeThompson 5y ago
That isn't correct. He has spoken out against EV subsidies recently. https://readon.substack.com/p/-musk-doesnt-want-subsidies https://readon.substack.com/p/-musk-doesnt-want-subsidies