Musk has ~250 million X followers
Elon Musk has close to 250 million followers on X, giving him enormous reach to shape political narratives globally.
Snapshot · Economist Podcasts
The Elon game: Musk’s vision of the future
Explore episode
Jul 24, 2026
Where this was said
Meeting Musk: First Impressions and the SpaceX IPO
At 4:05 · chapter starts 3:05
Zanny Minton Beddoes recounts how she secured the interview with Musk months earlier at an event in California, and what it was actually like to sit across from him at his enormous Tesla Gigafactory near Austin, Texas [1] — Zanny Minton Beddoes "Zanny Minton Beddoes sat down with Elon Musk at his Tesla Gigafactory in Austin for his first extended interview since the historic SpaceX …" 02:13 . Musk is described as a 6'3" imposing presence who says exactly what he thinks — sometimes funny, sometimes aggressive, always unfiltered. Minton Beddoes had sought to understand how the man arguably doing more than anyone else to build the future actually sees that future. She also previews the tension at the heart of the interview: the gap between his exhilarating vision and his, in her view, bigoted and inaccurate take on present-day politics. The SpaceX IPO, completed in June and described as the biggest in history, forms the backdrop — a sign that Musk's ambitions are now backed by extraordinary capital.
SpaceX IPO was biggest in history
The SpaceX IPO completed in June was described as the largest IPO in history.
AIs Will Be in Charge by 2036
Musk told The Economist that AI will exceed the sum of human intelligence in around five years, and by 2036 'the AIs would be in charge.' His prediction: incredible abundance for all — and money won't matter. This is not science fiction to him; it is a construction plan.
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