As for Elon, I think the guy certainly has some faults that absolutely deserve criticism, but I also think today’s tribalistic politics of us vs. them has resulted in people feeling compelled to view him as a complete villain, instead of a more nuanced view. Musk’s detractors seem to pretend that he’s not as smart as everyone says he is, or that he’s made no contributions himself.
Let’s not mince words, without Elon Musk, all of legacy auto would be completely ignoring EVs. They’d be lobbying for extensions on legislation designed to push the industry away from fossil fuels, they’d be building “compliance cars”—designed to fail to “prove” the lack of demand for EVs so they could continue building profitable trucks and SUVs. He has catalyzed an entire industry that’s shifting to EVs kicking and screaming the whole way.
His energy storage tech may also play a major factor in reducing CO2 emissions. And if he ever manages to work through the issues with his solar roof, that could radically decentralize power production for the grid.
As for SpaceX, building a reusable rocket system is a game changer for human exploration of space and other bodies in our Solar System. One can acknowledge these things and also condemn other actions he’s taken and statements he’s made.