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So the assumption to be a genius is that you must start from zero? I completely reject that assumption. It’s false for so many true geniuses, like von Neumann.

So the assumption to be a genius is that you must start from zero? I completely reject that assumption. It’s false for so many true geniuses, like von Neumann. His dad was well connected, the same is true for John Stuart Mill and a bunch of others I can’t think of now. This idea that every genius must be formed in a vacuum and can only be considered a “true” one if they can bootstrap themselves from nothing is an absurd idea peddled by underachievers who somehow find solace in their own mediocrity by nullifying the accomplishments of others who don’t fulfil their arbitrary starting conditions.

Dylan16807 4y ago
No, that's not what they said at all. The meat of the claim is "just an engineer [...] Did he invent something that I'm not aware of?" The money isn't mentioned to disqualify him, but to point out that money isn't enough. What did he actually do that shows genius?
- simondotau 4y ago
  One doesn't need to be able to point to a specific thing which they invented while alone in their garage with no help from anyone else in order to be a remarkable person. Elon is intimately involved in the minutae of SpaceX engineering and damn, if landing orbital rockets on a floating barge isn't impressive enough for you, I don't know what is. https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/k1e0ta/evidence_that_musk_is_the_chief_engineer_of_spacex/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/k1e0ta/eviden...