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I see him more as an outrageously lucky person that does the very best with the insane amount of fortune that he got. That image alone is inspiring enough, for

I see him more as an outrageously lucky person that does the very best with the insane amount of fortune that he got. That image alone is inspiring enough, for most of us are proportionally fortunate aswell and should aspire to do as much with our gifts.

zeidrich 11y ago
He's a really smart guy, but there are lots of really smart guys out there. He's a really lucky guy, but there are lots of really lucky guys out there. There aren't many really smart, really lucky guys out there. One of the challenges is when we see really smart, really lucky guys, we tend to think of them as unbelievably smart and kind of lucky. One of the bigger challenges is when they start to see themselves that way.
- fraserharris 11y ago
  "The harder I work, the luckier I get" - Samuel Goldwyn
  - agumonkey 11y ago
    Seems like luck is the ignorant term for ignorance.
  - senna 11y ago
    Well then, slaves must be really lucky then. Samuel Goldwyn (1879, 1974) - Died living a lie.
higherpurpose 11y ago
If you read Outliers you'll see Bill Gates was also "very lucky".
Panoramix 11y ago
No such thing as luck. I read the article and I wouldn't know what qualifies as outrageously lucky. The NASA deal that came just in time, maybe. But it's not luck to get a contract for launching rockets if you already demonstrated you can do it.
- anonydsfsfs 11y ago
  His parents were well-educated and part of the upper-class. This was pure luck and afforded him countless opportunities he wouldn't have otherwise. It's hard to overstate how lucky this was. He had access to very good schooling in his childhood and free time to pursue his interests (computer programming). This was pure luck and critically important in forming who he is today. He was able to obtain Canadian citizenship through his mother. This was pure luck and was very important when he emigrated to the US.
  - Barraketh 11y ago
    These are all incredibly lucky w.r.t the world at large. However, amongst HN readers and the tech community, there are millions of people who are U.S / Canadian citizens, with educated parents, and who know how to program. What were the 'outrageously lucky' factors that separated Musk from these millions?
    - anonydsfsfs 11y ago
      I don't know, I just know he's one of the luckiest people on the planet. Even if we accept that there are, say, 100 million people who had the same luck in those three measures, that puts him the top 1.5% of the world's population. And that's all before he becomes an adult.
    - DrStalker 11y ago
      There are two parts to being lucky: 1) What sort of luck comes your way? 2) Are you able to take advantage of the good luck and minimize the effects of bad luck? If i'd had the exact same lucky breaks as Elon Musk I would not have been as successful, because I'm not as good at step 2 as he is.
    - Enzolangellotti 11y ago
      Eh, talk about average luck http://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/images/pretoria-boys-high-school-educationinsouthafrica.jpg http://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/images/pretoria... "Notable alumni includes two Nobel Prize laureates, 18 Rhodes scholars, eight Supreme Court judges, intellectuals and sportsmen" His father owned several businesses, mines, etc.
joeyspn 11y ago
Yeah, to achieve that level of success you definitely need luck, but don't forget that luck has to surprise you while you’re working your arse off...

zeidrich 11y ago

He's a really smart guy, but there are lots of really smart guys out there. He's a really lucky guy, but there are lots of really lucky guys out there. There aren't many really smart, really lucky guys out there. One of the challenges is when we see really smart, really lucky guys, we tend to think of them as unbelievably smart and kind of lucky. One of the bigger challenges is when they start to see themselves that way.

fraserharris 11y ago
"The harder I work, the luckier I get" - Samuel Goldwyn
- agumonkey 11y ago
  Seems like luck is the ignorant term for ignorance.
- senna 11y ago
  Well then, slaves must be really lucky then. Samuel Goldwyn (1879, 1974) - Died living a lie.

higherpurpose 11y ago

If you read Outliers you'll see Bill Gates was also "very lucky".

Panoramix 11y ago

No such thing as luck. I read the article and I wouldn't know what qualifies as outrageously lucky. The NASA deal that came just in time, maybe. But it's not luck to get a contract for launching rockets if you already demonstrated you can do it.

anonydsfsfs 11y ago
His parents were well-educated and part of the upper-class. This was pure luck and afforded him countless opportunities he wouldn't have otherwise. It's hard to overstate how lucky this was. He had access to very good schooling in his childhood and free time to pursue his interests (computer programming). This was pure luck and critically important in forming who he is today. He was able to obtain Canadian citizenship through his mother. This was pure luck and was very important when he emigrated to the US.
- Barraketh 11y ago
  These are all incredibly lucky w.r.t the world at large. However, amongst HN readers and the tech community, there are millions of people who are U.S / Canadian citizens, with educated parents, and who know how to program. What were the 'outrageously lucky' factors that separated Musk from these millions?
  - anonydsfsfs 11y ago
    I don't know, I just know he's one of the luckiest people on the planet. Even if we accept that there are, say, 100 million people who had the same luck in those three measures, that puts him the top 1.5% of the world's population. And that's all before he becomes an adult.
  - DrStalker 11y ago
    There are two parts to being lucky: 1) What sort of luck comes your way? 2) Are you able to take advantage of the good luck and minimize the effects of bad luck? If i'd had the exact same lucky breaks as Elon Musk I would not have been as successful, because I'm not as good at step 2 as he is.
  - Enzolangellotti 11y ago
    Eh, talk about average luck http://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/images/pretoria-boys-high-school-educationinsouthafrica.jpg http://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/images/pretoria... "Notable alumni includes two Nobel Prize laureates, 18 Rhodes scholars, eight Supreme Court judges, intellectuals and sportsmen" His father owned several businesses, mines, etc.

joeyspn 11y ago

Yeah, to achieve that level of success you definitely need luck, but don't forget that luck has to surprise you while you’re working your arse off...