Elon Musk's mental health is described as incredibly mercurial, with mood swings that can be manic or depressive, and he has mentioned he might be bipolar without a formal diagnosis. I observed him going into a total meltdown, lying catatonic on the factory floor in Fremont, Texas, unable to be roused by his team.

Elon Musk's ability to focus intensely on engineering problems is evident from his childhood, where he taught himself coding and created his own video game at a young age.

Successful founders often exhibit an obsessive focus and a level of irrationality in their pursuits, as exemplified by Elon Musk's approach to launching SpaceX.

Elon Musk demands high intensity and urgency in his work environment, rejecting the idea of psychological safety as an enemy to productivity.

Elon Musk's productivity stems from his unique operating method, which involves deeply understanding the issues at his companies and addressing the most pressing problems weekly.

Elon Musk does not value happiness highly; he sees himself as a video game addict, always focused on reaching the next level rather than savoring achievements.

Elon Musk associates pain with love, and he believes that adversity shaped him and made him who he is today.

Elon Musk's childhood was particularly brutal; he grew up in South Africa as a scrawny kid on the autism spectrum, often beaten up and psychologically abused by his father.

Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk, is a complex figure; he was a brilliant engineer but also had a dark side that affected Elon deeply.