Elon Musk A Failure? Tesla CEO Exhibited At Museum With Coke 2 And Other Fiascoes

Zinger Key Points
  • Musk was added to the Museum of Failure for 14 missteps the billionaire has made.
  • The museum says that “innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure."

Elon Musk, typically celebrated for his successes and accomplishments, has earned a place in the Museum of Failure, recognized for fiascos the curators deem setbacks, including his purchase of Twitter for $44 billion.

According to Business Insider, the pop-up museum — currently exhibiting in Brooklyn, New York — lists six successes and 14 failures for Musk.

The Tesla CEO's missteps are featured alongside Coca-Cola’s Coke II, which failed in 2002; the DeLorean, which was manufactured from 1989 to 1990; and Alphabet Inc’s Google Glasses, which were produced between 2013 and 2014.

How Musk Earned His Place At The Museum

Musk's founding of SpaceX, his leadership role at Tesla and the fact that he was briefly the world’s richest person are examples of how the billionaire is an innovator, according to the report.

On the other hand, Musk's 14 failures include being “kicked out” of PayPal and Zip2, which he co-founded; the so-called “pedo-guy scandal,” where Musk falsely accused a rescue worker on social media; his declaration on Twitter that he would take Tesla private; and choosing to name his two youngest children, X AE A-XII and Exa Dark Sideræl. Although, his youngest daughter’s name, who Musk had with musician Grimes, has been changed to Y.

The museum, which says that “innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure,” and that its exhibits are aimed at “provid(ing) visitors a fascinating learning experience.” It takes a page out of Amazon.com, Inc’s CEO Jeff Bezos book.

Bezos, who believes being wrong is a part of success, once reportedly said that “People who are right a lot, change their minds often.”

Rather than stating that Musk is a failure, like some of the other products and services being showcased at the event until May 14, the exhibit asks museum-goers to decide for themselves: “Elon Musk. Innovator or a failure? As you’ve seen throughout the museum, failure is essential to innovation.”

Next: Step Aside, Elon Musk! The World's Richest Women Are Here — And Their Net Worths Are Increasing

Image via Pixabay

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: EntertainmentTop StoriesGeneralElon MuskJeff BezosSpaceX
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!