Elon Musk's passion for video games is far from a casual affair. It is a window into understanding the complex layers of the tech mogul's personality, his approach to business and his personal relationships.
His latest biography explains his love for the strategy game "Polytopia," a multiplayer game where you strive to build an empire. Musk became so skilled at it that he bested the game's developer Felix Ekenstam.
"I am just wired for war, basically," Musk said, illuminating how he perceives his proclivity for strategy and competition.
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This passion isn't just a pastime but a tool for honing skills and discovering life lessons. As Shivon Zilis, who downloaded the game to play alongside Musk, points out, "There's so many life lessons you learn, so many weird things about yourself and your opponents."
Musk's games of "Polytopia" aren't casual diversions; they are intensely competitive sessions. In the wake of a heated argument with engineers, Musk retreated to a parking lot and drowned his frustrations in two back-to-back games of "Polytopia" against Zilis, winning both times.
"He just absolutely crushed me both games," she said.
Even in his personal life, the game has significant implications. Grimes, his partner at the time, was also coaxed into playing "Polytopia."
"He doesn't have hobbies or ways to relax other than video games," she said.
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But what she probably didn't expect was the weight Musk would place on the game's outcomes. During one session, she launched a surprise attack on him despite having agreed to be allies. The result? "It was one of our biggest fights ever," she said.
Musk saw it as a deep betrayal, saying, "It's a huge deal." He remained silent toward her for the rest of the day.
But it's not just Musk who brings this level of intensity and passion to his pursuits. As someone who transformed his startup ventures into empires, Musk is a testament to the potential lying dormant in the world of startups. Just as he was once a lesser-known entrepreneur striving to change the world, there are countless others out there with ideas who are awaiting the right investment to catapult them into their own universe-altering trajectories. The potential to invest in the next Musk — someone with a fervor and strategic mindset capable of transforming an industry — is not just a possibility; it's a reality waiting to happen. Anyone can invest in startups with as little as $100.
The game even transcended into his professional life. On a trip to Tesla Inc.'s Berlin factory, Musk delayed important managerial meetings because he was engrossed in "Polytopia."
"But it's the best game ever," he said after a mild scolding from his mother, who was on the trip with him.
Polytopia seems to be a metaphorical battlefield where Musk practices life's strategies. His brother Kimbal Musk learned the game to understand his sibling's mindset.
"He said it would teach me how to be a CEO like he was," Kimbal Musk said.
There are explicit lessons that Musk and his circle have derived from the game, some of which are coined as "Polytopia Life Lessons." Among these are notions like not fearing loss, being proactive in strategies and learning to pick your battles wisely. For Musk, life, much like "Polytopia," gives you a finite number of turns, and missing any could mean not reaching ambitious goals like colonizing Mars.
The game also has its downsides. It almost consumed Musk, affecting both his personal and professional life. Both Kimbal Musk and Zilis deleted the game from their phones.
"I had to stop playing because it was destroying my marriage," Kimbal Musk said.
Elon Musk admitted, "I had to take ‘Polytopia' off my phone because it was taking up too many brain cycles. I started dreaming about Polytopia."
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