Elon Musk's Biographer Witnessed Him Enter 'Demon Mode' — A Dark Side With Intense Moments Of Productivity And Brutality

Elon Musk's intense work ethic and occasional transformation into what his biographer  Walter Isaacson describes as "demon mode" have been brought to light by the bestselling author who shadowed Musk for two years. Isaacson revealed that Musk's former girlfriend Grimes coined the term "demon mode" to describe the billionaire's alter ego. While this state allows Musk to achieve high productivity, it also brings out a darker side of him, marked by a lack of empathy.

Musk's intense work ethic plays a significant role in his success, particularly with companies like Tesla Inc. and SpaceX.

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In a Twitter Spaces interview before releasing his biography on Musk, Isaacson discussed how many successful leaders, including the late Apple Inc. Co-Founder Steve Jobs, tap into their "dark streak" to focus on critical issues without being weighed down by empathy. In Musk's case, the dark streak can hinder the business and frighten employees. 

Isaacson shared that when Musk's employees failed to match his "maniacal" sense of urgency, he would "rip that person apart" in a brutal manner, especially during his tenure as CEO of Twitter Inc., which involved implementing mass layoffs. The outbursts were uncomfortable for observers.

Musk explained that his approach stems from his belief that empathizing with one person may jeopardize the bigger picture. But Isaacson noted that this brutal approach is effective only about 80% of the time, and for the remaining 20%, it becomes problematic, leading people to fear delivering bad news to Musk. Isaacson's upcoming book, set to be released in September, delves into how Musk's complex personality balances his dark streak with his work at Tesla and SpaceX.

While Isaacson's insights shed light on Musk's temperament, it is worth noting that another biography, "Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century" by Tim Higgins of The Wall Street Journal, has previously exposed Musk's apparent short fuse. Musk's demanding approach to work is no secret as he has publicly encouraged employees to demonstrate their dedication by sleeping at the office, working long hours and fully immersing themselves in their roles.

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