'He didn't buy Twitter for money': What Elon Musk's biographer says about him

Renowned author and biographer Walter Isaacson, who has spent three years closely observing Elon Musk, recently made comments suggesting that the billionaire entrepreneur lacks a natural feel for empathy and emotions. Isaacson, who is set to release his upcoming biography about Musk in September, shared his insights during an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box. He also clarified that Musk wouldn't buy Twitter for the sake of money. 

Isaacson said, "If he wanted to make money he wouldn't have bought Twitter, he wouldn't have sent rockets to Mars, he probably wouldn't do electric vehicles. There are lot of things that motivate him but Money isn't number one."

While Isaacson commended Musk's engineering abilities, he pointed out that empathy seemed to be an area where Musk fell short. "I'm more impressed with him as an engineer," Isaacson stated. "I think that he does not have a fingertip feel for empathy, emotions."

This is not the first time Isaacson has mentioned Musk's apparent lack of empathy. In a previous interview on Twitter Spaces, Isaacson referred to Musk's "demon mode," describing it as an intimidating trait that contributes to his success. Isaacson credits pop star Grimes, Musk's ex-girlfriend and mother of his children, for coining the term "demon mode."

During the CNBC interview, Isaacson addressed recent headlines involving Musk, including rumours of a physical altercation between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Isaacson dismissed the reports as a metaphorical representation of the two executives' business rivalry. Meta's Twitter rival, Threads, has gained significant traction, amassing over 100 million users shortly after its launch.

Isaacson also clarified that his close proximity to Musk did not lead him to take a more lenient interpretation of Musk's controversial remarks. He acknowledged the billionaire's faults, emphasizing the complexity of understanding a person's motivations when closely observing them.

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