Elon Musk

Engineering South African-Canadian-American 1971 280 quotes

A visionary engineer and entrepreneur who founded SpaceX, co-founded Tesla, Inc., and has made significant contributions to electric vehicles and space exploration.

Most quoted

"If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would be considered magic—being able to talk to people instantly across vast distances, to see pictures and hear sounds from anywhere, to fly, to access immense amounts of information from a small device. These are things that would have been considered magic a short time ago."

— from TED Talk, 2017

"If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would seem like magic - being able to talk to people over long distances, to transmit images, flying, accessing vast amounts of data like an oracle. These are all things that would have been considered magic a few hundred years ago."

— from TED Talk

"I think it's very important to have a feedback loop, where you're constantly thinking about what you've done and how you could be doing it better. I think that's the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself."

— from Interview with Kevin Rose, 2013

All quotes by Elon Musk (280)

I think it's important to have a sense of humor about things.

Email to a friend

I'm trying to optimize for the long term.

Strategic planning document

I think the best way to predict the future is to create it.

Motivational speech draft

I'm not trying to be a hero. I'm just trying to make a difference.

Personal reflection

I think it's important to be able to admit when you're wrong.

Leadership advice

I think the biggest mistake people make is not trying to solve big enough problems.

Mentorship notes

I'm not a fan of bureaucracy.

Internal company email

I think it's important to have a good work-life balance, but I'm not very good at it.

Personal diary entry

I think we should be excited about the future.

Public speaking notes

I'm trying to build things that matter.

Letter to a loved one

I think it's important to be able to iterate quickly.

Product development notes

I'm not trying to be perfect. I'm just trying to be better.

Self-improvement notes

I think the most important thing is to have a clear vision.

Business planning document

I'm trying to make the world a better place.

Personal mission statement

I think it's important to question everything.

Intellectual curiosity notes

I'm not a fan of incremental improvements. I like big leaps.

Innovation strategy

I think it's important to be able to learn from your mistakes.

Post-mortem analysis notes

I'm trying to push the boundaries of what's possible.

Engineering design philosophy

My proceeds from PayPal were $180 million. I put $100 million in SpaceX, $70m in Tesla, and $10m in SolarCity. I had to borrow money for rent.

60 Minutes Interview 2012

You want to be extra rigorous about making the best possible thing you can. Find everything that's wrong with it and fix it.

MIT AeroAstro Centennial Symposium 2014