Elon Musk and the Cybertruck
Elon Musk, standing on the back of the Cybertruck, a project far exceeding its original budget and delivery timeline, presided over its first customer deliveries. Just a couple of days prior, he had significantly damaged another of his companies by instructing advertising partners to "go f*** [themselves]."
The Cybertruck Launch
The Cybertruck launch was not a substantial event. Musk promoted the capabilities of the stainless-steel vehicle before explaining to the first new Cybertruck owners the unique way to open their doors. He also repeated an unclear statement about how exciting it would be to see these trucks driving around before ending the event.
Re-enacting the 2019 Mishap
In an unusual choice, Musk stood in semi-darkness on the truck bed, despite a stage lighting setup designed for him not to do so. A noteworthy moment was when Franz von Holzhausen was brought out to throw a baseball at the Cybertruck's windows, echoing a 2019 event when he smashed the prototype's windows. The reenactment suggested that if von Holzhausen had replicated the 2019 event with a proper throw, he would have broken the windows again.
Musk's controversial conduct
Musk did not address his failing social media product or how his frequent and inflammatory comments have made it difficult to see a positive future for X. He also did not talk about his range of distractions, including a spaceship he periodically launches from south Texas, which are causing concerns among Tesla investors. Mostly, he discussed the Cybertruck's potential benefits in case of the end of modern civilization and its cool appearance.
Shift in Musk's persona
Musk, once a confident solutions engineer, has become a vocal advocate of far-right beliefs and conflicting convictions. His opposition to OpenAI's rapid AI development appears to be driven by jealousy, as evidenced by the rushed introduction of Grok, his own equivalent.
Future of Musk's influence
Despite his army of devoted fans, it's hard to deny that Musk's influence is declining. The crowning moment of his most absurd idea, the Cybertruck, seems like a significant end to his era of power.