In the annals of American industry, few figures stand out for their eccentricity, innovation, and sheer force of will like Howard Hughes and Elon Musk. Here’s a playful yet insightful comparison:
The Visionary Beginnings
- Howard Hughes: Born into wealth thanks to a drill bit, Hughes took his inheritance and flew into the realms of aviation, filmmaking, and real estate, not to mention his forays into the bizarre world of germaphobia and seclusion.
- Elon Musk: Starting from a less opulent but still comfortable beginning, Musk coded his way from Zip2 to PayPal, then shot for the stars with SpaceX, and electrified the roads with Tesla. His vision? Make life multi-planetary and transition Earth to sustainable energy.
Innovation and Industry Disruption
- Hughes: He broke speed records with his H-1 Racer, built the largest flying boat in history (the Spruce Goose), and pushed TWA into the jet age. His contributions to cinema with RKO are less about art and more about pushing technological boundaries, like with “Hell’s Angels.”
- Musk: Electric cars weren’t new, but Tesla made them desirable. SpaceX? It’s like Hughes Aircraft but with the aim to colonize Mars. Musk’s Boring Company and Neuralink delve into realms that even Hughes might find futuristic.
Eccentricity Gauge: The Hughes-O-Meter
Now, let’s gauge Musk’s eccentricity against Hughes:
- Public Behavior: Hughes became a recluse, obsessed with privacy. Musk, on the other hand, tweets policy changes, market-moving statements, and occasionally, memes. Hughes might score a 9/10 for eccentricity here due to his extreme seclusion, while Musk, with his Twitter antics, might be at a 7/10.
- Business Decisions: Hughes bought RKO and pretty much ran it into the ground due to his eccentric management style. Musk’s decision to buy Twitter and transform it into X could be seen as similarly bold or foolhardy. Here, they might tie at an 8/10, given the high-risk nature of their decisions.
- Personal Projects: Hughes had the Spruce Goose, which flew once. Musk has the Hyperloop concept, which, while not as physically grandiose, aims to revolutionize transport. Musk’s ongoing projects might give him a slightly lower score, say 6/10, due to practical outcomes (so far).
- Mental Health and Public Perception: Hughes’ later life was marred by severe OCD and mental health issues, which were not well understood at the time. Musk’s behavior, while erratic, hasn’t reached Hughes’ levels of seclusion or perceived madness. However, his public battles with regulators and his “funding secured” tweet saga nudge him up to a 5/10.
Final Score
- Howard Hughes might sit at an overall eccentricity score of 8.5/10, considering his later years.
- Elon Musk, with his space-age ambitions, Twitter storms, and industry-shaking decisions, currently scores around a 6.5/10 on our Hughes-O-Meter. But remember, unlike Hughes, Musk’s story is still being written, and if his plans for Mars or Neuralink come to fruition, we might need to recalibrate our meter.
In the grand tapestry of eccentric moguls, both Musk and Hughes weave threads of brilliance with strands of the bizarre. They challenge what’s possible, often at the cost of being understood in their time. Here’s to the crazy ones, indeed.
