Walter Isaacson: Elon Musk

‘Its portrait of the tech maverick is fascinating. . . a persuasive mixture of alarm and deep admiration' ― Daily Telegraph

‘[Isaacson] has done something amazing with the Musk biography which is to write a 688-page quick read’ ― Financial Times

‘Whatever you think of Mr Musk, he is a man worth understanding – which makes this a book worth reading’ ― The Economist

‘A penetrating new biography’ ― Daily Mail

‘A beat-by-beat book that follows the tycoon inside important rooms, as well as exploring obscure regions of his mind’ ― The Times

‘A comprehensive, deeply reported chronicle of the world-shaping tech mogul’s life’ ― Politico

‘An experienced biographer’s comprehensive study’ ― Observer

‘He forms his own conclusions, which are mostly admirably balanced and mature. . . Isaacson, in his quest for a comprehensive audit of the Musk phenomenon, errs slightly on the side of the voyeur in these encounters, but I can’t blame him. It’s quite the spectacle’ ― Independent

‘The book contains a series of illuminating anecdotes about Musk’ ― Guardian

'Isaacson offers both an engaging chronicle of his subject’s busy life so far and some compelling answers’ ― Wall Street Journal

‘The most complete profile of Musk yet’ ― Time Magazine

'There’s not much middle ground on Musk – people love him or hate him – but Isaacson is best positioned to figure out what makes him tick’ ― Los Angeles Times

‘The resulting book delves deep into the billionaire’s demons, including childhood bullies and a difficult father, and interrogates their relationship to his success’ ― New York Times

‘Isaacson deftly handles complicated matters like the development of electric vehicles, rockets and artificial intelligence while also deeply exploring Musk’s background and family’ ― AP News

‘This fast-paced biography. . . [is] a head-spinning tale about a vain, brilliant, sometimes cruel figure whose ambitions are actively shaping the future of human life' -- Ron Charles ― CBS Sunday Morning

‘Everything you'd expect from a book on Musk. . . While the stories are fascinating and guaranteed to spark a mountain of coverage, founders and entrepreneurs will also unearth valuable lessons’ ― Inc.

‘The book is bursting with stories. . . A deeply engrossing tale of a spectacular American innovator’ ― New York Journal of Books

‘Walter Isaacson’s intimate account of a tech titan’ ― TLS

‘this biography of Elon Musk is still fascinating. How could it not be? . . . He has spoken to practically everybody’ ― Evening Standard

‘a highly readable portrait of a very unusual personality. . . It is a considerable achievement on Isaacson’s part to have persuaded this reviewer. . . to adopt a more sympathetic view of Musk and set aside much of the familiar media caricature of him.’ ― Literary Review

About the Author

Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of biographies of Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein. He is a professor of history at Tulane and was CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2023. Visit him at Isaacson.Tulane.edu.