Business Book Review – Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk

Stephen Grootes interviews Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post journalist and author of Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below. 

Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk is a biography which takes you on a journey through the rise of South African-born tech billionaire, Elon Musk.

He's ascended from an entrepreneur to a business tycoon and owner of companies like Tesla, Space X and even social media platform, X.

Musk is without a doubt one of the most controversial figures of the 21st century, becoming the world’s richest person through his visionary approach to business, for which he is celebrated, criticised and often maligned for.

The term Hubris Maximus, originates from ancient Greek literature which translates to excessive pride or arrogance, something Musk is also known for.

Authored by Faiz Siddiqui, a technology journalist for The Washington Post, the book takes you on a journey into the Musk's volatile character, detailing the many disputes and spats he's had during his career, and how it's shaped the businessman he is today.

The book picks up from the period following Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter (now X), detailing the  chaotic chapter of his impulsive leadership.

According to a synopsis by publishers, Pan McMillan, it also delves into the chaotic launch of the Tesla Cybertruck, as well as his decision to reshape Twitter into 'X' as part of his self-proclaimed mission to defeat the 'woke mind virus'.

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, Faiz Siddiqui says Musk has had disputes in almost every facet of his career and life. 

"Musk would engage in what seemed like, at times petty disputes, or disputes that were not necessarily helpful to his businesses. But they were to advance what he believed was right."

- Faiz Siddiqui, author - Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk

"That attitude of Musk even extends to the presidency of the United States."

- Faiz Siddiqui, author - Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk

"How has Musk, I suppose got away with it all? He has this platform. And there's a platform that he now owns which allows him tremendous influence. He's also the richest person in the world"

- Faiz Siddiqui, author - Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.