Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk

This revealing debut investigation from Washington Post journalist Siddiqui studies how Elon Musk’s erratic behavior and unwavering self-confidence have imperiled his business empire. Siddiqui recounts how in 2018, Musk’s tweet falsely alleging that he had funding to take Tesla private landed him in the crosshairs of the Securities Exchange Commission, which forced him to resign his position as chairman of the automaker’s board. Contending that Musk routinely overpromises and underdelivers, Siddiqui describes how his attempt to aid the rescue of a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand entailed delivering a “kid-size submarine” that was too large to traverse the cave’s narrow passageways, and how in 2020, he broke a promise to use Tesla’s factories to make ventilators. Siddiqui also calls into question the wisdom of Musk’s Twitter takeover, detailing how Musk tried to squirm out of the deal by alleging the company misled him about the number of spam accounts on the site after he realized that news of his acquisition caused a nearly 30% drop in Tesla’s stock price. Though this doesn’t match the novelistic detail or propulsive storytelling found in Kurt Wagner’s Battle for the Bird, the meticulous reportage teases out the complex motivations—and, frequently, folly—behind the entrepreneur’s high-profile power plays. Musk’s critics will find plenty of fodder for their broadsides. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)